


Do not go gentle into the good night.

by taj_mahal



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: Gen, Ghosts, Halloween story, Haunted House, Holidays, Strange Occurences, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-12-27 02:03:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 40,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21110888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taj_mahal/pseuds/taj_mahal
Summary: After the US Open, Roger, Mirka, Rafa and Meri decide to spend a little time on vacation at a secluded island off the coast. But strange things start to happen almost as soon as they reach the island and rental home and it soon becomes clear they are not welcome...- A ghost story for Halloween -





	1. The beginning is the end is the beginning

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything, but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always gotten there first, and is waiting for it.”

\- Terry Pratchett-

*#*

Bedford Manor, Gardiner Island - New York  
September

It feels like trying to break through the surface of a tank full of deep dark water only that he has no problem whatsoever with getting oxygen into his lungs. Everything else however feels exactly like it would if he were underwater. Sounds are muffled around him, his sight is blurred and he feels like he is moving through molasses. He can hardly move, breathing - though he can – feels incredibly hard and his every sense is dulled and slowed.

It is why it takes a while for him to realize somebody is holding onto him by his upper arms rather tightly, is standing right in front of him and is speaking to him in an urgent, almost frantic tone of voice. He blinks, blinks again and the face in front of him swims into focus ever so slowly. It is his wife and she is shaking him, speaking to him, trying to get him to respond. Sound is the next sensation to return to him and finally he can hear her high-pitched, scared voice as she practically yells at him, even though he is standing right in front of her.

“Roger, please... Talk to me, damn it! Tell me you're okay! Please be okay...”

“I'm okay...”

The words leave his mouth like he has to push them through a thick ball of cotton stuffed in there and he isn't even sure they make any sense. But they seem to calm Mirka somewhat. At least she stops yelling at him and shaking him, but she does not let go of him. It's almost like she stays right there in front of him on purpose. Like she wants to shield him from something. He has no idea why though. But then again he has no idea how he has ended up where he is, with her standing there like this, staring at him wide eyed, worried for him and frantic with fear.

It is only now that he can see and hear and talk that the rest of his senses and the perception for his surroundings return to him in stages. He is already aware of the fear and concern showing clearly in Mirka's eyes and on her face. He turns his head to take in his surroundings and realizes he is on the top of the stairs of the house they have rented. He has no idea why. The last thing he remembers is getting a cup of tea from the kitchen... 

His eyes wander further, down the stairs and it's only now that he sees what is most definitely the cause for his wife's inner turmoil and where the rest of the people occupying this rental home with them have disappeared to. Both Rafa and Meri are at the bottom of the stairs and while Meri looks very much well – though just as frantic and worried as Mirka, kneeling down at the bottom of the staircase – Rafa does not. 

Roger feels like somebody has reached into his chest and is squeezing his heart with a cold, unforgiving hand. He gasps as he detects the crumbled heap of a person at the bottom of the stairs and needs another moment to realize that it is Rafa lying there – exposed, vulnerable and unresponsive. Roger feels his breath catch in his throat and a shiver run down his spine. Something has happened here, something awful and he has no memory of it. 

“Oh my god...”

Before Mirka can stop him or can even get so much as a word out, Roger has freed himself from her grip and is pushing past her, practically flying down the stairs to reach the Spanish couple as soon as humanly possible and making sure that what he sees is not as awful and desperately serious as it seems... Meri is checking for a pulse, checking for her boyfriend's breathing and even though her hands are trembling when she does it, relief floods her face at the findings of her inquiry. When Roger's concerned voice reaches her, she looks up at him – a mixture of worry and fear and just a tiny bit of disdain shining in her eyes.

“Is he okay?”

“I don't know... He's breathing and his heartbeat's strong but I can't get him to wake up...”

There is a crack and a tremble in the younger woman's voice and Roger feels that painful clench in his chest again. He has to force himself to actually look, to take in the state the younger man is in. Surprisingly enough Rafa looks actually quite peaceful instead of hurt. But that is the unconsciousness, and unconsciousness is definitely a serious thing. 

What bothers Roger the most however, is that he has no damn clue why Rafa is at the bottom of the stairs in a crumpled heap, unconscious and in need of medical attention. Mirka, who has followed him down the stairs in a slower pace is his first source and hope for an explanation. Meri is definitely otherwise occupied. Roger looks up at his wife, hoping for her to shed some light on this damn mystery.

“What the hell happened?!”

“You pushed him...”


	2. A proposition

*New York City – Eight days earlier*

It is Saturday morning, the second to last day to the last Grand Slam tournament of this season and both Roger and Rafa have lost their respective semifinals the evening before. It's disappointing of course but losing is part of the game and it has been a good tournament for both of them up to this point. Roger for his part is content with his achievements. He can't be sure Rafa feels the same way but he gets a chance to ask him on this Saturday morning, more by chance than anything else. He detects Rafa in the hotel restaurant during breakfast buffet at a table at the far end of the room all by himself.

It seems strange to Roger that the Spaniard is all by himself, especially after yesterday's loss. Usually the younger man doesn't like to be alone, he likes the stability and security of having people around him he trust and that he can rely on to give him comfort and strength and the right perspective to deal with a lost match – especially this far into a tournament. But either Rafa doesn't need that support today or he has decided he doesn't want it. Either way, Roger decides to say hello to the younger man and ask him about it.

"Morning. This is a rare sight..."

"Sorry?"

"You're almost never alone."

"I needed some time to myself."

Rafa has been looking up at him but the usual happy smile the younger man wears when interacting with him like this is missing today. Roger doesn't blame Rafa. Being out of the tournament this close to the final always takes some adjusting. However the Spaniard sounds just a tiny bit defensive when he tells Roger he has indeed wanted to be alone and despite his wish to get a chance to talk to Rafa and come up with a proposition that has been on his mind for a while now, Roger definitely gets the hint. 

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, of course not. I didn't mean it like that. Sit if you want."

Roger is a little surprised Rafa actually wants him to stay. To him it had seemed that the Spaniard isn't exactly looking for company. But the Swiss follows the invitation. He nods, makes a quick gesture to the breakfast buffet and returns a little while later with a plate and coffee for himself. It's only now he realizes Rafa must have eaten already. At least there is no food in front of him anymore. Roger takes a sip of his own coffee and decides to ignore his food. After all he has something he wants to ask of the Spaniard, so he cuts right to the point. 

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow... Maybe you could change those plans."

"Why?"

Rafa doesn't exactly sound pleased or eager at the idea of postponing his plans to go back home. After all he has been in the U.S. For about a month now and it's a little while until the next tournament comes around. The Spaniard is actually looking forward to the chance of spending some downtime back home. Roger however has different plans and the last thing Rafa wants to be towards Roger is rude. The other man certainly doesn't deserve that. After all he is a friend, a good friend, more than a friend indeed and even if Rafa might not like whatever Roger wants to ask of him, the least he can do is hear him out. 

“We could celebrate?”

“Celebrate what? We didn't win.”

“But we both made it to the semis. That's a respectable result.”

Rafa makes a sound that is somewhere between a huff and a groan. Obviously he doesn't feel about the tournament the same way Roger does. Then again the loss is still fresh and unlike him, Rafa has had half a day less to adjust to the facts... Roger is looking forwards while it seems Rafa's focus is still going back. The Swiss is very much willing to change that, but the proposition to celebrate seems utterly lost on Rafa, who is now looking at him, a mildly confused expression on his face. 

“You want to go out? For dinner? Or drinks?”

“No. I want to go to Bedford manor on Gardiner Island.”

"You want to do what where?"

If anything Roger has managed to maximize Rafa's confusion but maybe that's a good thing. It might be easier to convince the younger man of his little idea like this. After all taking a trip together is something they have never really done before. Roger would like the chance and he is sure if only Rafa would allow him to inspire the younger man, he would feel inclined to say yes. So Roger tries. 

"It's a small island in the bay areas of upstate New York, very remote, very nice this time of year.   
The manor is from the 18th century and it has been remodeled as a rental holiday home to accommodate guests. We would have the whole island to ourselves. A couple of days of doing nothing else but taking long walks, enjoying nice cozy evenings and simply relaxing. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like holidays we could have in a lot of places. What is so special about that place?"

"Nothing really. It simply looks like a nice place to spend a couple of relaxing days at. It's an old, historic mansion on a privately owned island and the brochures make it look amazing... as do the comments of people who have been there. Luxury accommodations for a great holiday..."

Rafa is smiling a soft, mildly condescending smile now and Roger isn't quite sure what to make of it. Maybe he has gone about this all wrong, maybe his plea has been too desperate, his description of the island and the holiday accommodation there a little too over the top... It seems he is not too far of with his assumptions, because Rafa is teasing him quite mercilessly. 

"You sound like a commercial."

"It is from the commercial. From the brochure I just told you about, to be exact. I have it with me. You can take a look if you want."

Roger doesn't even wait for Rafa to answer the question, before he pulls the brochure he has brought along from his pant pocket, unfolds it and slides it across the table for the Spaniard to take a look at. Maybe Roger is being a little forceful in his determination here, but if Rafa minds, he doesn't let it show. He picks up the brochure instead, skips through it and even though he doesn't look as thrilled as Roger would want him to, at least the Spaniard gives an approving nod at the facts and pictures the document provides. 

"Looks nice."

"It's more than just nice. It's amazing."

"You forget I live on an island, no? This is not so special to me."

"This is a different kind of island. We'll be all alone there."

"You said that already. I doubt your... intentions though. You want to spend holidays with only me?"

There is a cheeky grin on Rafa's face all of a sudden. It's all too clear what the younger man is implying but that is definitely not what this trip is about for Roger. Maybe his reaction is a little too emotional, but Roger doesn't want the younger man to get the wrong impression here. This is no ploy for whisking the younger man away to a deserted island to have some sort of... semi-pornographic getaway. Roger for his part fully plans on taking his wife along. 

"No! Of course not. We'll take our respective better halves. They'll love it. We can all use a little R+R."

Rafa tells Roger he needs to talk to his girlfriend about this first and Roger is completely fine with that. The Swiss wants them to take their time with their decision and – after they say goodbye in the hotel restaurant – Rafa takes the brochure along to show it to Meri. He and Roger agree on speaking again at a later time today. Telling Meri about Roger's plan, her initial reaction is just as reluctant as Rafa's has been but just like him, the pictures and description of the little brochure actually appeal to her. 

"This looks nice."

"That is what I said."

"And Roger wants you to come?"

"He wants us to come. Like a holiday. You and me and him and Mirka."

Meri raises her eyebrows at him but doesn't otherwise comment on the constellation. Rafa understands her reluctance though. He knows Roger well of course and the four of them are all in on the agreement Rafa and Roger have and share and they are okay with it. But it is precisely because of their agreement, that Rafa rarely ever spends any time with Mirka, especially just the two of them and with Meri it's even less. The two women barely know each other and of course his girlfriend is reluctant to agree to spend her holidays with somebody who – by all intents and purposes – is a stranger to her. She is not yet convinced. 

"On a deserted island?"

"It's not deserted, it's remote."

"With... a boat taxi service and a satellite phone but no other means of communications giving a totally relaxing and secluded experience."

Meri is quoting from the brochure now but she manages to sound a little sarcastic repeating the words from the brochure back again and she is giving him that questioning look yet again. Admittedly the choice Roger has made is a little unorthodox and it is definitely way more remote than it has to be. They could have gone to a nice, private hotel somewhere where it is a lot warmer – like Mexico or the Bahamas.

"I know it's a little over the top."

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot. But he is right. It looks nice."

"Yes. Very. And it will be quiet... Might be a good idea..."

"Yes. Might be."

Rafa can practically see the thought process happening as his girlfriend tries to come up with a decision on how she feels about this idea. Meri is still mulling the idea over in her head but she doesn't find a satisfactory answer. She doesn't know if she wants this and she doesn't know which answer would make her boyfriend happy. Rafa seems just as reluctant as herself. She can ask him of course and she actually decides to do just that. Rafa however isn't the least bit in a helpful mood. 

"What do you think?"

"I'm not sure."

"That's not helpful."

"I'm not trying to be helpful. I want you to decide."

Meri gives a displeased sound and Rafa chuckles at that. Of course his girlfriend doesn't like the idea that this will be her choice and her choice only. If it turns out to be a disaster of a tip, she will be the one to blame because this has been her choice. She thinks about it again. The brochure definitely makes it look like a nice place and they can use some peace and quiet, all four of them. There are nicer places in this world and places closer to home, but this is not a bad choice either. 

"Well... it really looks nice and a chance to spend some time away from home, from the whole... excitement of these last two weeks, it seems a good thing to do. We can use it..."

"So we go?"

There is no more backing out of the decision-making process now and Meri decides to simply go for it. Her gut feeling tells her Roger has had a good idea there and if they don't like it, there is a ferry service – as she has just read from the brochure – that can take them back to he main land. If they don't like it, they can simply leave. Judging from his reaction Rafa appreciates her decision. Because her answer makes her boyfriend smile, which is all the reassurance Meri needs that this is the right decision. 

"Yes. We go."


	3. Arrival

It takes another day and a half for Roger to sort out all the details and get in contact with the proprietor of the rental home on the island and confirm the already made reservations and the number of people that will be there, but by Monday midday both he and Mirka, as well as Rafa and Meri are at the marina of the small town of New London waiting for the grounds manager to pick them up and ferry them over to the island. All Roger knows of the man is his name and a phone number and so far, nobody has showed up to greet them.

The weather is nice for late September at the American East Coast and the sun and calm sea seem to have a positive impact on all four of them. So far nobody is complaining or showing signs of impatience. They simply enjoy the sun and the fact that they are seaside, with the island they will be staying on for the next week already in sight just a couple of miles off the coast. It's not like they are in any rush – these are holidays for them after all. A voice behind their little group makes them turn around. A man in jeans and a long sleeved shirt is smiling at all of them before focusing his attention on Roger. 

“Hello there. I'm Michael, Michael Branston and you must be Roger?”

“Yes, that's me. Hello, Mr, Branston...”

“Oh please, call me Mike. We're usually very informal with our guests. Helps to create a more familiar atmosphere. Unless you do mind...”

Roger shakes his head in response to the question and then shakes hands with the other man for means of introduction. Mike might be a little late but he is friendly and helpful and his arrival means they can go to the island now. Roger turns around halfway after letting go off Mike's hand and points to the rest of their little group one by one, introducing the remaining members of their travel group. 

“No of course not. This is my wife, Mirka and those are our friends, Rafa and Meri.”

“Nice to meet you all and welcome to your holiday destination. I could recommend a couple of nice spots along the coast if you want to take your time or I could ferry you over and show you the island right away, tell you a little about the place, the house and it's history.”

“We're all set to go to the island.”

“Alright then. Follow me.”

Mike leads the way through the marina to a little, motorized boat. It isn't much but it looks well maintained and clean and after all they are not going very far. Roger has to grin at the realization that Rafa seems immediately interested in the boat – as uninteresting as it seems. He takes a quick look around while Mike is busy storing their luggage. It takes just a couple of minutes and then Mike takes them out of the marina and starts telling them about the island they will be spending the whole rest of the week on. 

“Now Gardiner island – as you can see – is located just a little off the coast, but the waters are cold and the undercurrents are quite treacherous, so unless you know what you are doing, you shouldn't maneuver those waters on your own.”

“Rafa owns a yacht... I'm sure he could handle it.”

“Is that right. Where are you based out of?”

Roger is pretty sure Mike is only asking out of politeness and it coincides rather well with Rafa's reaction, because the younger man immediately looks a little awkward at being the center of attention. Rafa is pretty sure Mike doesn't know much about the Balearic Islands and he keeps his answer short. Just as well the other man focuses his attention back on the waters they are traveling right now and the island they will reach in a few minutes from now. 

“We're from the Mediterranean. Mallorca.”

“Well this is a little bit different I'm afraid. You have come at a really calm day. The waters aren't usually like this. It's a lot rougher this time of year most of the time. Probably more like the Mediterranean in winter... But it is a lovely spot, I can tell you that. The island covers an area of a little over five square miles, a third of it is covered by meadows, another third is forest, the rest of it is where the main building and surrounding area is located. There are trails all over the island but only the one road leading up to the house from the boathouse. There are 27 miles of shoreline to explore and the island is a habitat for sea hawks. 

The first settlement on the island was build by the Gardiner family in 1639, the manor as it stands today was first build after the American Revolution, when the Bedford family came to the island. They have lived here for about 50 years, when the last living member of the Bedford family died in 1877. They are buried on the south side of the island. 

The manor and it's surrounding buildings – including a windmill - lay abandoned for quite a while after that until the island was put up for sale by the State. We leased the land, bought the house, had a landscaper and a remodeling company redo everything necessary and we have been up and running and open for business since 2003. The company celebrated it's 15th anniversary just two months ago."

By the time Mike is done with telling them about the island, it's history and the accommodation he manages, they have reached the little bay and boathouse that gives them a chance to moor the motorboat and get out of the vehicle. While the four of them leave the boat, Mike is busy with their luggage again. The whole trip has taken about 20 minutes and the water has been really quiet. So far the beginning of their little holiday is going really well. Mike gives them all a smile and makes a vague gesture up the road leading away from the boathouse while he is still busy with luggage. 

“We have a little cart to take your luggage to the house and there are bicycles in the shed by the house but those are the only means of transportation around the island. Why don't you go ahead? I'll load your luggage and will follow in a couple of minutes. Just take the road, it leads right up to the house. The key should be in the lock and the front door should be open.”

The way up to the house in the nice warm weather is relaxing and it isn't far. As Mike has told them, the door to the house is indeed open and the key is in the lock. Roger reaches the front door first and takes the key before entering the house. The manor is old – as Mike has already told them – but it is newly furnished and has a very warm and welcoming feeling to it. There are two stories to the house and for now they only take a look at the ground floor. They have about five minutes, which isn't exactly enough to get a proper look around, and then Mike enters the house as well, finding them in the living room where there are two bottles of wine and a fruit basket on the table. They all meet in the room and Mike gives them a smile. 

“I see you already found our complimentary welcome basket and the bottles of wine. Feel free to treat yourself to those. I hope you enjoy them. All the common rooms – the kitchen, the dining room and the living room as well as a small study and library – are located on the ground floor. The building next door holds some outdoor equipment, like the bikes I told you about and to the other side there is a steam room and Jacuzzi in the second shed. Upstairs holds four bedrooms, we prepared all of them, just in case one of you snores or something like that. There is a small bathroom to every room and a major bathroom at the end of the hall with a tub, that you can share of you want.

The fridge is fully stocked, all electronic equipment is thoroughly explained in the manual that is displayed in the lobby. There is a guest book as well if you would like to leave us some feedback and if there is anything else you need, the satellite phone is down in the boathouse. You can reach me from there and – depending on the weather – I will be here to help you out or provide you with any necessities or whatever else you might need within an hour of your call.”

Mike's gaze wanders around from one to the next as he is waiting for questions or suggestions but for the moment they are all good and of course they know their way around a house and it's equipment. Roger is sure they will all be fine and he is also sure they will have a good time here. Mike is nodding at all of them, giving them one last, professional smile, focusing on Roger this time. 

“Is there anything else I can do, any questions?”

“No. I think we're good.”

“Perfect. Have a nice stay. I'll pick you up Sunday around 2 pm. Enjoy your time on Gardiner Island.”

“Thank you, Mike.”

They all watch as the manager raises his hand in a gesture of goodbye and then exits the house to leave them to their own devices. Their luggage is in the lobby, the welcome basket is on the table and they all stand around looking a little lost and unsure what to do next. Roger can't help but grin. They look a little like a group of teenagers on their first day of summer camp, not exactly knowing what to do next. Roger decides to take the initiative here. After all this has been his idea in the first place. 

“Okay... Let's explore the house and choose a bedroom.”


	4. Cold and drafty

The first thing they actually do before following through on Roger's idea to explore the rest of the house, is to get four wineglasses from the kitchen and open the two bottles of wine. It's not even noon yet and they probably should have lunch first and wine later but nobody complains. These are holidays after all. The fully stocked kitchen also holds a box of salt crackers and some cheese that goes along really well with the complimentary red wine provided by the company renting the house to them. They settle in the living room on two large, comfortable couches, enjoy a first glass of wine and talk about what to do for the rest of the day.

“So we should probably get situated and take a look at the hot tub and steam room next to the house. That sounds like a nice, relaxing way for an evening activity, don't you think?”

“Lunch first, I think. I'm starving.”

“You're always starving.”

Rafa receives a soft slap to the forearm from his girlfriend in response to him teasing her about the fact that she is hungry. It's a joke more than anything. Breakfast has been more than four hours ago and with all this driving, the brisk sea air and the boat ride, he feels the first tell tale signs of hunger as well. But he is simply too energetic to sit down at a dining table and have something to eat right now. All they have done today so far is sit – at breakfast in the restaurant, in the car on their way here, on the boat to the island and now here in the living room. Rafa feels the rather urgent need to move and he definitely needs to do that first before he can think of having lunch. 

“Mike said there are a lot of trails. I like to see more of the island. Go explore a little...”

Mirka nods at him in appreciation of the idea. She feels the same way Rafa does, about needing a bit of exercise and fresh air before they will be having lunch. Apart from that she really doesn't feel all that hungry and certainly not in the mood to cook for four people right now. To her, holidays include not having to do any housework. Of course a rental home requires a certain amount of that, but Mirka – for her part – doesn't want any of that on their very first day here. 

“I'd like to join you if that's okay. We can leave it to Meri and Roger to make lunch while we go for a walk?”

“Are you sure we can leave those two alone in the kitchen? Who knows what they will do...”

“Hey!”

This time Meri's exasperated reaction is a verbal one, as well as another, not so playful hit to her boyfriend's arm again. Rafa is definitely in a teasing mood today and though Meri appreciates that her boyfriend is happy, he is not exactly fair. She is a good cook after all and he knows that. Rafa grins back at her, shrugging his shoulders. He apologizes but it doesn't sound too heartfelt. Then again his teasing hasn't exactly been too hurtful either. Roger stops them from keeping their bantering going, summing up their plans for the rest of the day. 

“Sorry.”

“So – getting situated first, you two take your little walk, we whip up something fabulous for lunch and afterwards we check out the instructions for the hot tub and maybe save the second bottle for tonight?”

“Sounds good.”

“Alright. Up we go then. First upstairs gets first pick of the bedrooms.”

Roger still sounds like a kid on their first day of summer camp. He is utterly enthusiastic about this rental home, the island and the chance to spend some quiet and relaxing days here. But he doesn't dash off to be the first one upstairs and actually makes a race out of his idea. All it takes is for Mirka to raise her eyebrows and give him a questioning look, that causes the Swiss to reign in some of his enthusiasm.

In the end they all take their respective luggage and go upstairs together. As there are two bedrooms to either side of the staircase, Roger and Mirka decide to go left, while Rafa and Meri go right. They might be taking this trip together but that doesn't mean they have to choose adjacent bedrooms. A little bit of privacy – especially for the night – is definitely a good idea. The first bedroom Rafa and Meri take a look at, has two separate beds to it. They don't even need to talk about it. They know this is not what they want. They are a couple after all. 

The second bedroom provides just what they are looking for. There is a double bed in the room and it is a little bigger than the other one. Other than that the room is furnished in the same comfortable and warm way as the rest of the house. They drop their luggage by the door and Rafa goes to check out the adjacent bathroom, leaving Meri alone in the bedroom for just a moment. The second her boyfriend is out of her sight something seems to... shift. 

The room suddenly feels very cold and inhospitable and Meri has no idea why that is. She just knows that it's the truth. It almost feels like a gust of icy cold wind but there is no whooshing sound, no movement of the air. Still the sensation sends a shiver down Meri's spine and all of a sudden she feels very exposed, vulnerable and... watched. She winces and almost yelps when Rafa's voice sounds behind her and spins around to face him. 

“Bathroom looks nice... What is wrong?”

Rafa picks up on her discomfort rather easily and he immediately looks concerned. Meri tries for a smile but she is aware she is failing miserably. Rafa seems happy with their choice of room but Meri can't help how uncomfortable she feels. This room is still making her feel like something is crawling up and down her spine... Rafa's presence helps somewhat but still she doesn't like it here and she wants him to know it. 

“I don't think I like this room...”

“But it's the only one with a double bed...”

“I know. But it's cold here... and drafty, don't you think?"

Rafa raises an eyebrow at her and his face screws up in confusion. He takes a look around the room before turning his focus inward, trying to make sense of what Meri has just told him. He feels nothing strange. He neither feels cold nor like there is some sort of draft. The room could be a little bit warmer but given the fact that the housekeeping staff probably hasn't put the heaters on, it isn't too much of a surprise. 

"Feels fine to me."

"Maybe I'm just imagining things..."

Meri hates how unsure she feels and Rafa realizes rather quickly that his girlfriend is in need of some comfort. He walks up to her, pulls her into a gentle hug and the warmth he radiates actually helps Meri to feel a little bit better – both about the situation and about this room in particular. She lingers in his embrace for a moment longer, giving a sound of appreciation in the process. Rafa chuckles as he lets go of her again and comes up with a more than reasonable solution. 

"Lets put the heaters on and check the windows. I'm sure it's just because nobody has been here in a while. I'm sure it will be fine and if you really feel that strongly about it, we can still switch, okay?"

“Okay.”


	5. Meeting interrupted

Roger and Meri do not ruin lunch. Actually they turn out to both be quite capable at preparing a nice meal and setting a table. Not that they have come up with anything fancy. It's simply bread and toppings and a mixed salad, but it's exactly the kind of light meal to help tide them over until dinner time. The nicest thing about lunch however is not the food, it's the fact that they get to sit at a table together – the four of them – and enjoy the fact that they are on holidays.

It's the one thing Rafa has been a little worried about from the start. He has spend time off with Meri of course and he has spent time off with Roger. But this constellation – two couples spending time away from their every day life together – this is new. And they don't know each other all that well among one another. That's not necessarily a bad thing. After all this is their chance to remedy that. 

As it turns out going on a walk with Mirka, while Roger and Meri take care of lunch, is a first good step in the right direction. Rafa has been a little reluctant, but Mirka seems completely at ease around him and they actually fall into an easygoing conversation the moment they hit the trail head right behind the house. Mirka asks him about the last holidays he has had, tells him about her and Roger's summer vacation with the kids and it is actually easy to talk to her. Rafa finds himself making a stupid joke somewhere in between and Mirka actually laughs... It makes him feel a lot more assured about this six day stay together.

By the time they return to the house, they are both hungry and the table is set. Rafa can only go by the way they act around each other, but as both Roger and Meri are all smiles and ease around one another, their first outing together seems to have gone over just as well as Rafa's and Mirka's... Lunch is a lively affair – though Rafa blames that on the rest of the wine being consumed – and afterwards they take that look at the steam room and Jacuzzi they have all been looking forward to.

They decide to simply take their time and they decide to keep their swim clothes on, because the steam room and the hot tub are meant to be used together – with a nice luke warm shower in between to relax and cool down a bit – and despite the fact that they are getting along and are very much at ease around one another, despite the unusual mix-up of all of them together in the same place, the last thing Rafa needs or wants is for Mirka to see him naked... or Roger Meri for that matter. After all these are holidays for each of them – they are supposed to enjoy them, not feel awkward around one another.

Just as Mike has promised, just like with the house, the wellness area contained in the second building to the side of the house is state of the art. They take their time, enjoy the amenities offered and it's just as surprisingly easygoing as this whole day has been for them so far. Maybe they have actually needed this chance – a chance to spend time together outside of traveling and tennis - a chance to get to know each other better. It seems to work out just fine and that feeling carries all the way through the afternoon. 

They find a common ground for dinner – with Roger and Mirka usually eating a lot earlier and Rafa and Meri used to a later time – and settle on nine pm as their designated dinner time. This time it is Rafa's and Mirka's turn to cook. They make fish and rice and some vegetables to go with it and open up yet another bottle of wine – a white one this time. They go for a short walk on the paved trail leading down to the beach and the boat house after dinner and a day full of activity, combined with good food, a bit of alcohol and a lot of fresh air, has all of them feeling pretty tired quite early. It's only a little after eleven when they return to the house, but all four of them are very much willing to call it a night. 

It's only after Roger has dressed and is ready to go to bed, that he picks up one of the complimentary bathrobes again and tells Mirka he will be back in a few minutes. She doesn't question him. She probably knows where he is going anyway, after all they have been a couple for a long time and Mirka knows him well. Roger has actually tried to be sneaky and has send a text message to Rafa across the corridor while his wife was in the bathroom. They might not have cell service here, but they do have wifi and that is enough. The younger man has his phone on him apparently and he writes back to him as they decide for a chance to... say goodnight to one another. After all this is a romantic getaway and throughout this whole day – with the respective women in their lives close by – they haven't really had a chance to actually tap into that romance themselves at any time. 

Maybe it's a little unfair to both Mirka and Meri. But then again Roger is pretty sure these two know exactly where they are and what they are doing. They are aware of it the rest of the year just the same, why should now be any different? They meet in the second bedroom on Rafa's and Meri's side of the upstairs corridor. The room is mostly dark, with only one light on at one of the bedside tables and Rafa is already there, waiting for him, smiling at Roger a little nervously when the Swiss enters and closes the door behind them.

“This is a little bit stupid, no? Meeting in secret.”

“It's not a secret, at least I don't think. I mean I'm sure Mirka knows where I went...”

Rafa nods at that and his smile widens into a grin. He is looking a little more embarrassed now. Roger can't immediately make sense of it, but Rafa explains it to him. Unlike Mirka – who has given Roger raised eyebrows when he has left but hasn't commented on what her husband is doing, Meri's reaction has been different. She has been a lot more vocal – but she definitely isn't angry or jealous. Otherwise she wouldn't have made a joke out of it.

“Meri told me... have fun.”

“Well that's good advice.”

Roger steps closer to the younger man, his voice low and husky and inviting. Rafa's facial expression changes. He is still smiling but it is a different smile now and there is an intensity to his features that hasn't been there before. He is watching Roger closely, his movements, his expression and it's unbelievably intense to have Rafa's full attention like this. It always is, but the fact that they have snuck out to be here together adds a level of... thrill that makes it all the more appealing. Roger reaches out a hand, carefully, measuredly, and very gently holds on to Rafa's wrist pulling him just a little closer.

“I haven't had a chance for any alone time with you today. I... missed you.”

“I'm right here.”

“Yeah, aren't you just.”

Roger doesn't even try to keep up any kind of pretense. He steps into Rafa's personal space – which is exactly what the younger man wants him to do, Roger can tell by the way Rafa's smile widens ever so softly – and kisses the younger man. His eyes fall close involuntarily and he has to reign in a satisfied moan. They haven't had a chance to be together like this since before the semifinal in New York and it is nice... more than nice actually. It feels a lot like a prelude.

Them being together, having a chance to be physically close like this, doesn't last for long. A door falling shut somewhere outside in the corridor causes both of them to wince and pull away from one another. Roger frowns at the noise. All the doors he walked past upstairs had been closed when he came over here... But then again he has had other things on his mind coming over. Rafa looks a little spooked as well and then the younger man shivers all of a sudden.

It is only now Rafa realizes the room seems to have suddenly gone very cold. He frowns again and tries to make sense of it. As he had told Meri earlier today, they have turned on all the heaters on their side of the corridor before going back downstairs before lunch. But in here it is cold. That would be okay if the heaters were broken, but they are not. He gives Roger a slightly confused smile as he wraps his arms around his upper body. 

“Meri was right. There is something off about the heating in this place...”

“You feel that too? It's icy in here...”

“Maybe we should call Mike about it in the morning.”

Roger doesn't seem very much inclined to follow through on the idea. He shrugs his shoulders and somehow – much to Rafa's chagrin and disappointment- the moment between them seems to be gone. Whatever romance there has been before has evaporated with the strange occurrences out in the corridor and the fact that the room feels like the temperature in here has dropped below zero all of a sudden. 

“We're not using this room, so... I don't think it's too important. We can tell him about it when he picks us up on Sunday.”

“So a goodnight kiss is all I get?”

Rafa grins softly at Roger, trying to flirt with the older man, but he isn't quite sure he is doing too well. Roger definitely seems preoccupied and whatever prelude they have been building up to, with their kiss from before, is definitely gone. The Swiss is trying to be nice and Rafa is trying to be persuasive and at least that mix up gets him something, as Roger steps closer to him again.

“You just said it yourself. It's too cold to do anything else in here.”

“We could huddle under the covers and see how it goes...”

They kiss again, less careful and more passionately this time, but yet again their moment is interrupted. Another door falls closed with a bang, making both of them wince again. This time it is closer and as they both spin to look, they find it's the bathroom door that has fallen closed right to the side of them. This time Rafa feels a little bit spooked and it seems he is not the only one. Roger looks just as mystified, at what has just happened there, as the Spaniard feels.

“That's odd... There can't be a draft. There are no open windows up here.”

“Maybe Meri or Mirka opened a window in the bedrooms or maybe we forgot a window downstairs?”

“But I don't feel any draft...”

“It's just a coincidence, Rogi and somehow I think you're using it to get out of sharing a bed with me.”

Rafa gives both flirting and being quite obvious with his intentions another try, but this time it doesn't work. Roger is definitely not in the mood for any kind of romantic interaction. The Swiss actually takes a step away from him. The atmosphere between them has actually changed and it seems it is just as cold as the temperature in the room right now. At least Roger gives him a smile before shaking his head no in reply. 

“Another night, okay? We have a couple more of those after all.”

“Deal.”


	6. Houselves and gremlins

Their first night in the rental home is a little weird. At least that is how Rafa feels about it. He has no idea if he is the only one, but he doesn't sleep too well. It is probably the unfamiliar bed and the unknown house and the fact that the end of this first day with Roger in the second bedroom has not exactly gone as Rafa would have wished. There are simply too many things on his mind – the whole day of traveling, this first time they spend time together the four of them, the way Roger has denied Rafa a chance to get more from him than a kiss goodnight and the fact that something seems wrong about this house, the doors and the heaters especially...

Ridiculously enough Meri is next to him and she is fast asleep even though she is the one, who has been telling him she doesn't feel comfortable in this room. But it seems the Jacuzzi and the dinner and the walk have left her sufficiently tired out that she had already fallen asleep by the time Rafa had returned from the bedroom across the hall. He hasn't dared to wake her up again, although he really would have liked someone to talk to. Instead he has been turning from one side to another, trying to get his mind to calm down.

He wonders if it is the same for Roger or Mirka and he wonders if either of them is listening to any kind of strange sounds coming from the house or any other drops or increases in temperature like the two he has already experienced today. He is probably a little oversensitive and he knows he will calm down eventually but it takes time, even though he feels tired. In the end it is around one in the morning when Rafa finally falls asleep and when he wakes up again, it feels like only a couple of seconds have gone by. But it is morning and the sun is shining in through the window and Meri is already up and about, smiling at him when she detects him being awake.

“Did you sleep well?”

“It was okay for a first night in a strange place.”

“After all those years one might assume you're used to this.”

There is no reproach to Meri's voice but a soft, fond smile on her lips when she talks to him and Rafa is very well aware of the fact, that she is teasing him. He's not in the mood for it, not after the night he has had, but he doesn't want to have a bickering match with Meri either. After all these are their holidays, their romantic getaway and the last thing they should do is argue. Rafa sits up in bed – ignoring her teasing for the most part – and shrugs his shoulders. Meri is both observant and sympathetic in response, her smile widens and her voice softens.

“It's different. It's not... work.”

“And that is exactly how it should be. Come on, lets get up, keep the pajamas on, use the bathrobes and have breakfast like that.”

“What about Roger and Mirka?”

“They can come to breakfast any way they want, as long as they're dressed.”

“I think we're safe in that regard.”

They both chuckle and Rafa has to admit the idea of simply staying like this and having a relaxed morning appeals to him greatly. When he and Meri come downstairs, it smells invitingly of freshly brewed coffee and Mirka and Roger are already at the dining table, eating. It seems the complimentary bathrobes provided in each of their bedrooms are sort of a theme this morning, because the Swiss couple is wearing them as well. But unlike with Meri and him, Rafa can detect bare legs and flip flops on the older couple. 

“Are you in your swim suits under those robes?”

“Yep. We decided we'll take another swim in that Jacuzzi after breakfast.”

“You can't swim in there.”

“Figure of speech, Rafa. Do you want to come with?”

Somehow the idea of sharing the hot tub with Roger and his wife is not as appealing as the Swiss may think. And it's not like Rafa is here on his own and can make those decision considering only himself. He shares a quick, questioning look with his girlfriend, who shrugs her shoulders ever so slightly. She doesn't say anything, but then again she doesn't have to. Rafa can tell from the look on her face that she would not be pleased with him if he left her alone to come up with something to do all by herself for the morning and midday.

“Meri and I haven't made any plans for today yet...”

“I would like to go down to the beach for a while.”

It is easily settled that the two couples will split up until after lunch. Roger and Mirka volunteer to make it, which comes as no surprise to Rafa. Dinner is definitely the more time consuming meal to prepare and he and Meri will be stuck with that task tonight. He doesn't mind though – he likes cooking and he likes to spend time with Meri. It's a win-win in that regard. 

They go back upstairs, get dressed, pack a couple of things and by the time they come back downstairs, Roger and Mirka have vacated the dining room and are probably already in the second shed, enjoying the amenities. Rafa and Meri take the short walk back down to the boathouse. There is a small stretch of beach right next to it. The weather is nice, there is a soft breeze and the sand is warm under their feet when they step out of their shoes.

They settle on a towel in the sand and Meri watches as her boyfriend digs his toes into the sand. The last time they have had a chance to do something like this has been in July, after Wimbledon. That's more than two months ago. Were they back home, they would probably go for a swim now, but the water around the island is too cold to even step into. It has taken him a moment, but Rafa realizes Meri is watching him. She smiles.

“This is nice...”

“A little bit cold...”

“It's not home. But it's...”

“Nice?”

Rafa is grinning now. He is obviously relaxed and happy and Meri decides to try some teasing and again. Unlike this morning her boyfriend seems to be in a more receptive mood now. True to her assumptions the grin on Rafa's face widens and he shakes his head at her, trying his best to look absolutely innocent. 

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Wouldn't dare.”

They sit quietly for a while after that. Enjoying the warm breeze and the sun, the soft sand beneath them and the sound of the ocean waves lapping against the shore. It is peaceful and relaxing – which is exactly what this holiday was supposed to be about. With the warmth of the weather and the nice little spot they have found for themselves, Rafa is actually able to forget about the... oddities of last night. He is pretty sure it is simply a coincidence but a tiny rest of worry and doubt are still left. At least Meri seems to have forgotten about her initial reluctance. He asks to make sure. 

“Are you... happy?”

“Of course.”

“This was a good idea?”

“I'm enjoying it. And Mirka and Roger are good company.”

Rafa nods at that and can't help but smile. He is very much content with the fact that Meri gets along with the Swiss couple so well. So far it seems a lot like old friends taking a trip together. There have been no animosities whatsoever. They spend time together, they give each other enough space to spend time apart and they enjoy it. Hopefully it will stay that way... Rafa and Meri stay at the beach for another 15 minutes before they decide to return to the house. 

With the breeze and being exposed to it down here at the waterfront, they feel the need to actually warm up a little and decide to brew a new pot of coffee and settle down in the main living room until lunch. After a quick stop to the kitchen Rafa follows Meri upstairs to help her unpack their bags. They are in for a surprise though. When they step into their room, their suitcases – which they hadn't unpacked until now – are both open and pretty much every last piece of clothing in them is strewn all across the floor. Before Rafa has a chance to say anything, Meri is already giving him a stern look. 

“I know we are on holidays and all and we're supposed to relax but did you really have to strew both your clothes and mine all over the floor? At least keep your disorder to yourself.”

“I didn't do this...”

“Neither did I! Who was it then? Houseelfs? Gremlins? Ghosts?”

Meri sounds just a tiny bit irritated but it is more a bit of friendly bickering than her actually being angry. Rafa shrugs his shoulders in response. He certainly won't take the blame for this and he will not have Meri make fun of him. This isn't his fault. But it is odd. He hasn't done this. Meri hasn't done this and he is absolutely sure Roger and Mirka haven't been in their bedroom either. It's weird but Rafa tries not to dwell on it. It's just an oddity... and it is nothing to be concerned about. Instead he tries to make a joke about it to lighten the mood – mainly his own. 

“I don't know. All I know is that it wasn't me. Maybe it's a message? The way the stuff is strewn around. Like in that boring movie you showed me...”

“Boring movie?!”

“The one with the scientists going through a wormhole to find a second earth... or something. The one with the ghost in the girl's bedroom dropping all those books?”

“Interstellar? That was NOT a boring movie!”

“It was to me...”

“That's because you have no taste.”

“Of course I have taste. I picked you...”

The way Rafa smiles at Meri now – fondly and just a tiny bit flirtatious – his girlfriend is easily willing to forgive him, he has called that movie she likes 'boring'. Right now their taste in movies is not really the problem anyway. There is utter chaos in their room and – even though Rafa himself doesn't exactly mind – the Spaniard is sure his girlfriend is more than just a little unwilling to leave it this way. He turns out to be right. Meri wants to get proactive on this and restore order. It still leaves the question how any of this has happened in the first place... but that's a question for another time. 

“Stop honey tonguing me and stop stalling. It might not have been you who made this chaos but it will be you and me who clean it up. Come on.”


	7. Flickering lights

The strange occurrence in their bedroom never quite leaves Rafa's mind. It seems odd to him and he can't explain why all of their stuff has been strewn across the floor. It bothers him. Meri seems to be set on the idea that this is his fault and he simply tries to deflect. At least it means she doesn't dwell on it and doesn't feel the same, slightly uncomfortable and disturbing feelings Rafa has to deal with. He wants her to be happy here – after all he has asked her to come along to spend the holidays here.

Rafa's thoughts finally return to the here and now when they are done with cleaning their room up and go back downstairs to the kitchen for that coffee they wanted. Roger and Mirka return from the adjacent building a couple of minutes later as well and the group shares coffee and cookies, and the Swiss couple asks about the beach and the waterfront. Talking about the nice and... normal part of this day so far, manages to take Rafa's mind off things and he decides not to ask Roger or Mirka about this. After all they are here to enjoy... not to dwell on events he simply can't explain...

As the weather is nice and they have just had a little snack, they decide against making lunch right away and to go for a walk instead. Roger and Mirka want to see the beach, Meri wants a chance to take a look at the windmill and Rafa is simply glad to get out of the house for a little while. They walk down to the beach together, before the Spanish couple splits and takes the cobblestone walkway leading to the mill. The sun is still shining but the wind has picked up again. It's nice this way, it helps to clear Rafa's mind. Still trying to sift through both his thoughts and feelings however, makes him a little taciturn and of course his girlfriend picks up on it. 

“You haven't said two words since we came back from the beach... Are you angry with me?”

“No! No, of course not. I'm just... preoccupied.”

“Why?”

Rafa knows he is being vague and quite frankly Meri doesn't deserve that. She deserves for him to be truthful. He could of course – he could tell her about the draft and the door and the clothes and how all of that bothers him as more of a coincidence, but he doesn't want Meri to return to her previous, rather dismissive state of mind when they had first arrived here and had found their bedroom cold and... uncomfortable. In the end those are all just coincidences, they have to be... It doesn't mean anything.

“It's nothing, really. Just... too many things on my mind.”

“You're not supposed to have things on your mind. You're supposed to relax. That's what holidays are for.”

“I'll try to keep that in mind.”

“Good.”

Meri grabs for his hand and intertwines her fingers with his. It's a little like two shy teenagers on their very first date and Rafa can't help but grin softly at the thought. After all they haven't been a couple since only yesterday. They stay like this, walking hand in hand until they reach the windmill. The paint of the whitewashed wooden structure is a little faded and peeling in places but still it's a nice place. Meri tries the door but it's locked. She looks disappointed and hopes for Rafa to be able to help her out. Unfortunately he can't give her what she wants. 

“Do you think there is a key somewhere at the house?”

“I don't know. Mike didn't say anything about a key. We could call him...”

“No, no need. This is nice, too.

“It's not like you've never seen a windmill.”

“I'm aware. But this is different. And I like it. I like it here. Taking this trip was a good idea.”

“I'm glad you're enjoying it.” 

Rafa knows he still sounds a little dismissive but he simply can't appreciate Meri's happiness about being here. Of course he is glad she has given up on her previous resentments against coming here and staying at the house. But his own feelings are very much... torn. He should be better at hiding his own discomfort but Meri knows him both long and well. She is easily able to realize, that the way he barely even reacts to her joy, is a cause for concern. Being confronted with that again, Rafa puts more effort into soothing his girlfriend's worries. This time he succeeds.

“Are you sure everything's okay? You still seem... distracted.”

“I'm fine.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

It's a little after dark and the remnants of the smell of the very delicious dinner they have just eaten in the downstairs dining room pretty much fills the entire house, when Mirka – who has gone for a quick shower and a change of clothes – steps out of the bedroom she and her husband share and into the corridor. It has been a very active and relaxing day for them so far and they have plans for an equally as casual evening with a bottle of wine and some sort of board or card game they are all familiar with.

Mirka has changed into a pair of sweat pants, a washed out shirt that is too big for her – and not even hers in the first place – and a pair of slippers, but something feels off the second she takes a first step towards the staircase. She feels cold all of a sudden and the prickling of goosebumps runs down her spine all of a sudden, making her shiver. She shouldn't be feeling like this. There are no windows left open upstairs, the heaters are running but yet the feeling stays.

She wraps her arms around her torso to warm herself and takes another step closer to the staircase. The lights above her flicker and Mirka stops. This is odd. Mike has told them the house has been renovated and everything is on a high standard. There shouldn't be a problem with the electricity. But the lights are definitely flickering and the corridor is definitely cold. Maybe they do need to call Mike for maintenance after all. Mirka takes another step and the flickering happens again. And then the lights go out.

For a second Mirka stands in absolute darkness – as her eyes adjust to the sudden change in brightness – and something she is very sure is a gust of wind seems to rush past her and causes the feeling of coldness to intensify. For a split second she is sure there is a whisper. Something that almost sounds like a word. It's a vicious voice – cold and disembodied - and instinct immediately takes over. Mirka blindly hurries forward and almost loses her balance when she bumps into the banister of the staircase suddenly.

She grabs for the wooden handle, holds onto it like it's a lifeline and more stumbles than walks down the steps, almost losing her balance yet again. It isn't until the soft light from the downstairs hallway illuminates her path that she slows down. The cold is gone now, so is the draft and it is eerily still behind her on the upper floor of the house... Everything seems perfectly normal and Mirka could curse herself for her oversensitive reaction. Apparently her emotions still show when she steps into the living room, because the second her husband catches sight of her, a mildly alarmed expression appears on Roger's face and he walks over to her. 

“Hon, are you okay? You look a little spooked...”

“It's just... It's silly, really, but... the lights in the hallway... They flickered and then they went out."

"It's probably just shoddy craftsmanship. This is a really old house."

"But everything has been renovated and is supposed to be state of the art..."

The couple's exchange has been in English – more for the benefit of the rest of the group than anything else – and Rafa has been following it with a growing, uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. There it is again – yet another inexplicable occurrence in this strange house... For just a second, Rafa debates telling Mirka about the situation with his and Meri's clothes all over the floor earlier today. But the older woman is shaken enough already and Roger is trying his best to calm her down. Rafa doesn't want to torpedo that. Instead he simply keeps on listening, the uncomfortable feeling, he is struggling with, never quite leaving him again. 

"It's just a light bulb, hon. No need to get nervous."

“Yeah... yes, you are right of course. It's just a light bulb. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all...”

“How about a movie? Or a card game?”

“There's a puzzle in the cupboard...”

“You want to do a puzzle?”

“Why not?”

Mirka sounds a little more sure of herself now, a little calmer, and Roger certainly doesn't want to shake her newly found confidence, even though he isn't really in the mood for an evening spend with sifting through puzzle pieces. If this helps Mirka to forget about the strange incident with the lights, he is happy to indulge. Roger shares a quick, questioning look with the Spanish couple, but neither Rafa nor his girlfriend seem to have any kind of problem with the idea. The decision is set, it seems.

“I'll go get it. You three, why don't you relocate and clear the table in the dining room? Should be enough space.”


	8. The dream

Mirka takes a long time to fall asleep that night. Finishing the puzzle and sharing a bottle of wine with the group has helped to calm her mind somewhat, but her uneasiness has never really gone away. When they go upstairs later on tonight, the lights in the upstairs hallway are – miraculously – on and fully working yet again, but that only manages to make Mirka feel even more spooked about the earlier incident. She actually asks her husband to switch sides, so she doesn't have to sleep on the bedside near the door and she closes and locks the bedroom door before they fall asleep, leaving a light on in the bathroom as well as to softly illuminate their bedroom. And even with all that precaution, it takes hours – Roger next to her already oblivious and snoring ever so softly – until Mirka finally drifts into a dreamless sleep.

On the other side of the floor across the staircase, Meri and Rafa have no such problems. They fall asleep arm in arm after a long, though not exactly exhausting day, the… oddities after their midday return to their room pretty much forgotten. Rafa takes a little longer than his girlfriend, because with him Mirka’s earlier story about the lights – that miraculously came back on when they all went upstairs later this night – still sticks. But with Meri so close to him, her scent in his nose, her warmth radiating and her deep and even breathing in his ear, it is easy to be lulled to sleep.  
  
Meri dreams. She knows she is dreaming, which is kind of strange. Usually she isn’t aware of her dreams, but this time it’s different. It doesn’t feel like a dream, it fells more like a memory – which is probably the reason she is aware, because this is not her memory. It is somebody else’s. The first clue is the fact, that she is dreaming of the rental house. At least she thinks she does. It’s a little difficult to tell.  
  
In her dream she is standing at the top of the staircase. It is the same house, she is almost sure of it, but it looks completely different at the same time. It is darker, the furniture entirely different, with heavy curtains on the windows and dark, thick carpets on the floors. There is no electrical light either, only glass holders for candles… Realization dawns on her all of a sudden. She is in the house, in the same place, but at a different time.  
  
The house is not the only thing that is different. Looking down she finds herself in a thick, woolen and all black attire. It’s a long dress and from the feel of it there is a petticoat underneath it. It is heavy and uncomfortable and the corsage that goes with it makes breathing exceedingly difficult. Looking down at her hands they look white, almost translucent, with clipped fingernails and a scrape on one of the knuckles that is still healing. The hair is another thing that feels entirely different and uncomfortable. It is tied back into a tight bun, loose strands of hair pinned down with needles and some sort of net covering the bun at the back of her head.  
  
Meri desperately wishes for a mirror to actually see the woman that is definitely not her. But there is no mirror on the upper floor and somehow – even though she knows she is dreaming -   
she cannot make her dream-self move the way she wants to. Instead of going to one of the bathrooms and to a mirror, her hand reaches for the banister and holds onto it so tightly as if her dream-self is afraid of falling.  
  
She walks down the stairs and the only sound to be heard is the muffled clicking of the heels of her shoes as she walks on the carpeted stairs. Other than that the whole house is eerily quiet. No other voices, not even a lone clock ticking in one of the downstairs rooms. The whole house is silent… like a grave. That thought sends a shiver down her dream-self’s spine.  
  
At the bottom of the stairs, she stops. Yet again Meri can’t stop the movement – or the lack thereof in that particular moment - and she has no idea what is so special about the spot down here at the base of the stairs that she is staring at right now. It’s simply another stretch of thick dark carpet and nothing else. Looking more closely she thinks there is some sort of scratch mark at the lower part of the wall. Maybe something fell against it. Or scraped along on it’s journey down to the floor… Either way there is nothing of interest to see.  
  
Something that feels a lot like a sudden bolt of determination seems to wash over Meri’s dream-self just then and she moves again, her strides longer and more forceful. She has no idea what is happening, but this woman – in who’s body she seems to be trapped and that she cannot seem to escape or even catch a glimpse of – has suddenly come to some sort of decision and now she is acting on it.  
  
The decision seems to be to leave the house and that is exactly what her dream-self does. Walking towards the thick wooden door, Meri catches a quick glimpse of herself mirrored in a picture frame. It doesn’t tell her much. All she sees is a pale face and a shadow of black due to the large, dark dress. The woman she sees looks gaunt… and sad. Her hand lands on the door handle and seconds later she is standing outside on the porch.  
  
The season is a different one. It is cold and damp and foggy outside and Meri shivers in the bad weather and the beginning darkness but – yet again - it seems there is nothing she can do. She can’t even wrap her arms around her torso to protect herself and keep warm. Her dream-version stands still for a long moment and then she moves – away from the house. The outside – Meri realizes even in the semi-darkness – looks different too.  
  
The paved road they have taken to get to the house isn’t there. There is a small path made from cobblestone instead and in the distance Meri can make out the windmill – pristine and shining white, its paint job still new and shiny. There is only one shed next to the house and it looks like it’s about to fall down. Down by the beach there is no boat house, and even the beach looks somehow different.  
  
She walks again but not towards the beach or the mill but into the opposite direction. This is a part of the island Meri hasn’t explored until now. There is a small path here too, but it is muddy and overgrown and not exactly pleasant to walk along on. It goes steadily upwards, always along the tree line of the small forest on the island and she actually feels out of breath, when the crisp walk finally ends.  
  
She stops at the top of a small plateau and Meri realizes she is standing at the edge of a cliff, the late autumn ocean water lapping at the rocks below, turning the water into a gurgling, white mess. She wants to take a step back, wants to keep a safe distance to the steep drop off, but she can’t. Instead the woman in her dreams edges closer and closer to the nothingness that is the edge of the cliffs.  
  
Meri knows what is going to happen before the version of her in her dreams actually acts. She can feel it. The sadness, the desperation, the sheer… unwillingness to even try and go on for another day, it all hits her full force. And then her dream-self takes another step, one more step ... and it is one step too much. Suddenly the solidity of the ground beneath her feet is simply not there any more. She falls.  
  
*#*  
  
Meri wakes with a gasp, barely able to stifle a scream and sits upright in bed, cold sweat running down her back. Everything is back to normal now. She is back in their bedroom, back in her own time, back to the warmth of a heated room and Rafa is right next to her, sound asleep and completely oblivious to what she has just gone through.  
  
For a quick second Meri debates shaking her boyfriend awake. She is still shaken, still a little scared and still sweaty, but in the end there is little Rafa can do about that. Walking him in the middle of the night only to tell him she has had a nightmare, seems utterly selfish to her. She carefully gets up from the bed instead and walks over to the adjacent bathroom for a splash of cold water… and a look at her face. That damn nightmare has her rattled… and in desperate need to make sure her face still looks like her own.  
  
She is actually a little afraid to turn on the small light in the bathroom, afraid of what she might find when she looks in the mirror. But the feeling lasts only for a second and Meri actually scolds herself for being so silly. It has been a bad dream and a scary one, she is willing to admit that much, but it doesn’t warrant any kind of hysteria. Not looking at herself in a mirror definitely would border on being hysterical. Meri switches on the bathroom light.  
  
There are no surprises waiting for her. Maybe she is a little pale, but other than that her face is completely fine. She laughs a short, nervous laugh at the way she has managed to get herself worked up over nothing, before she bends forward, turns on the water and splashes some of it in her face. The cold water stings a little, but it definitely helps to clear her mind. She stays in the bathroom a little longer, uses the faucet for a drink, dries her face, takes a couple of deep breaths and switches the lights off again.  
  
Rafa is still very much asleep when she returns to the bedroom and lies back down next to him. The warmth radiating off of him, as well as his deep, even breathing help to ground her and calm her. She slips back underneath the covers and moves closer to her boyfriend until she is draped right against Rafa's back and drapes an arm over him, balling up a bit of the shirt he is wearing and holding onto it. This is nice and it helps. Meri likes it and she tries to make herself see that she is good. After all, it’s been just a dream.


	9. Whispers in the water

Mirka wakes at the crack of dawn. It must be only minutes after day break because the sun has only just come up. But it is enough light for her to feel comfortable to get up and leave the bedroom all on her own. After last night's incident with the lights and the gust of cold air, she simply doesn't want to be anywhere where she needs to switch on a light. She is too scared that it will happen again and maybe this time the voice she is still sure she has heard last night will actually manifest completely.

It's not an experience she needs to revisit or relive and even thinking about it makes it hard on her to get up and leave the bedroom on her own. For a second Mirka debates simply turning and trying to sleep some more until Roger wakes up and they can leave the room and go downstairs together. The thought lasts only for a second though and then she scolds herself silently for being so... superstitious. After all it is day and there is no such thing as ghosts or mean spirits anyway.

Mirka gets up and simply throws on the bathrobe on top of her pajamas before leaving the bedroom and heading downstairs. She reaches the kitchen without any kind of incident in the upstairs hallway or on the stairs. Of course she does – after all this is a holiday home, not a haunted house. Mirka knows she really needs to get her thoughts back under control and her mind off that incident with the lights. Otherwise the rest of their holidays here will definitely be ruined for her.

The clock above the kitchen counter reads 6:45 when Mirka steps into the room. It's very early – especially given the fact that they are on holidays – but Mirka can't go back to sleep and she hopes a cup of coffee will refresh her enough to make her forget about yesterday's events and the stupid thoughts that have been swirling through her mind since then. Making coffee is something mundane, something she feels comfortable with because she does it on a daily basis.

She gets the coffee powder from one of the shelves, gets a filter cone from one of the cupboards and fills the machine with it, before taking the coffeepot to fill the machine with the right amount of water. She places the pot in the sink and turns on the water, waiting for it to fill. Her attention wanders while she waits. She watches the sun shining in through the window, throwing rays of light on the kitchen table. It looks nice and it's soothing to look at but it doesn't stay like this for long. Suddenly there is something, something right behind her. A sound.

It's like a whisper, a murmur of a voice or something like it. It's not like a real voice. It's cold and disembodied and vicious and it makes her skin crawl and her blood run cold. She pushes back from the kitchen counter, swirls around and faces the sink where the water is still running. There is nothing there – just the water – but there is definitely a voice. Something is wrong with the water or maybe it is something else. Just like with the lights yesterday evening.

Something about the voice suddenly changes. It gets louder and more pronounced and Mirka is absolutely sure she has heard the word 'leave' being said. The faucet wants her to leave... or whatever is controlling the faucet. Mirka stares at the water that is overflowing from the coffeepot by now and then she hears it again. This time it is more like a hiss and it is definitely a word. She is told to leave. Mirka jumps back, like the water is suddenly scolding hot and she cannot bring herself to step back up to the sink again and shut the water off.

Instead she steps back, hurries back to the kitchen door, walking backwards the entire time without ever once taking her eyes of the water flowing into the sink. She half expects some disembodied figure to suddenly appear from the sink, but it doesn't happen. Instead something else happens – she suddenly walks into some solid mass, hitting it with her back and then two warm strong hands descend on her shoulders and she almost yelps, even as the solid mass turns out to be a person, turns out to be her husband.

“Honey?”

Mirka flinches and yelps again as Roger addresses her. It's a split second decision between turning to face him and turning away from the running water in the sink or the other way around. In the end she decides it is better to face her husband and hope for his support while simultaneously giving up on the ridiculous idea that the running water is out to get her. She turns around but can't help to scold Roger for sneaking up on her like that.

“God... You scared me...”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you... Did something happen? You look pale...”

“I'm fine.”

She tries to tell him, but she doesn't know how. Now – with no voice audible any more and with Roger there to ground her – Mirka feels entirely idiotic. A talking water faucet... She can't tell him that! He will think she has lost her mind entirely. So she tries to deflect. But Roger knows her for a very long time and he knows her intimately. Of course he is able to tell she is keeping something from him and of course he probes her for an answer and she definitely doesn't want to lie to her husband's face if asked for the truth.

“Are you sure?”

"I thought I heard a whisper... It was probably nothing."

"A whisper? Where?"

"Right here in the kitchen. I had the water running. Still have as you can see."

Roger looks over to the sink and frowns. She isn't sure what he is thinking – if it is because of her odd story or because of the fact that she has simply left the water running. In the end he does not ask her anything. Instead he goes to shut the water off, and Mirka can't help but stiffen when Roger steps up to the sink. She is sure the voice will reappear... or maybe something even worse. But nothing happens, nothing out of the ordinary at least. Roger simply shuts off the water, turns and smiles at her.

"There, all done. It was probably just something in the pipes and plumbing. This is an old house..."

“You said that before – about the electricity. They can't really have been that awful in their construction work though, can they? Mike assured us everything was renovated and state of the art.”

They have had that conversation before and Mirka has no intention of having the same argument all over again. She has not believed Roger yesterday, she does not believe him now. They have paid way too much money for this place for the explanation for all those odd occurrences to be shoddy craftsmanship. It is a logical explanation though - far more logical than disembodied voices haunting their water pipes. Roger simply shrugs his shoulders at her. His explanation is just as simple as before.

“Maybe he exaggerated.”

“But you read tons of guest reviews! Did any of them say anything about problems with the water or electricity?”

“No...”

Roger sounds a little more unsure now. Because Mirka is right. He has read a lot of reviews before deciding on this particular rental home and he has decided on this house because it has the highest rate among all of them. People have been happy to come here – they have enjoyed the house, enjoyed the island and rarely anyone has ever said anything even remotely negative about this place. Nobody has mentioned shoddy craftsmanship, bad wires or pipes or anything else that would point to a problem with the house. But Mirka is not imagining things, that's just not who she is. Roger has no explanation for it all and right now he really doesn't want to get into this. They can simply leave and do something else with their free time. But he hopes they don't have to. He hopes this problem with the pipes has been a one time occurrence. He smiles at Mirka again.

“I can make the coffee if you want...”

“No! Don't turn on the water!”

Mirka reacts so harshly and loudly she actually manages to make Roger flinch in response. She knows she is being hysterical and she knows she is not making any sense but the last thing she wants is to hear that awful, disembodied voice again. Roger smiles at her in response – smiles at her in the way he does with the kids when one of them throws a temper tantrum – and then he points at the coffee pot still sitting in the sink.

“I don't have to. The pot is full, remember?”

“Oh... okay.”

Mirka feels even more stupid now and decides to settle at the kitchen table and look at her hands. At least this way she can't do anything wrong. She stays like this and watches Roger finish the coffee before he leans against the kitchen counter and watches her but never says anything. The coffee is almost done when Mirka finally comes up with enough courage to ask Roger to do the one thing she has not been able to do herself until now. She simply needs to check, needs to make sure... Knowing and being scared in the process is better than this uncertainty she has been feeling ever since her husband has shut off the water.

“Roger?”

“Yes, hon?”

“Put on the water again, please?”

Roger frowns at her but he does not question her demand. He pushes away from the kitchen counter, walks over to the sink and something tightens deep in Mirka's insides as he puts the water on. Nothing happens. There is no voice, no vicious sound, nothing at all that could be considered remotely out of the ordinary. The water simply runs out of the faucet and into the sink with the usual whooshing and splashing sounds it's supposed to make. Roger shuts the water off again and is smiling at her softly and soothingly.

“See? Everything is fine.”


	10. The cemetery

Something is off about Meri when they wake up the next morning, Rafa can tell. She looks pale, she looks tired and she barely talks to him. Actually it seems a lot like she cannot get away from him fast enough. There is something on her mind but she simply doesn't want to tell him what it is. This however is an island and they share a bedroom and a bathroom. There isn't too many places she can go and Rafa does not want her to hide anything from him anyway. They have always been honest with one another – especially with problems and worries. Now should be no different.

He sort of corners her in the bathroom – with only the one door to leave the room blocked by him – and judging from the expression on her face, Meri already knows that running and hiding is not an option, not if her boyfriend is set on making her talk about what is bothering her. She still feels a little stupid, but there is no denying that the nightmare – the feeling of falling to her death – has left her rattled. Maybe talking about it is not a bad idea, if only to have Rafa's reassurance that there is nothing to worry about. And still, now that he asks her about it directly, her first instinct tells her to deflect.

“Meri, are you alright?”

“I'll be fine.”

“Will be fine?”

Of course Rafa picks up on her choice of words and Meri sighs ever so softly. Maybe she should have phrased her reply differently... She still has a hard time actually telling him about her stupid nightmare and how worked up she is about it. After all it has been just a dream. She isn't hurt, she has never been in any danger. And still – the feeling of being harmed has not gone away, not throughout the night and not until this morning. She trusts Rafa, she relies on him and in the end she decides to let him in.

“It's nothing important. I just... I had a bad dream.”

“About what?”

“The past... I think.”

“Your past?”

He is being utterly clueless, but Meri can't very well blame Rafa for that. After all he can't read her mind. Then again there isn't really much of anything in her past that would warrant a nightmare. But there is nothing in the past of this island, the house and it's inhabitants that should scare her either. She knows nothing about this place after all. Meri frowns and tries to come up with a reply that will actually make sense to Rafa. She can't – not really.

“No. This house. The people that lived here... I think. I'm not sure. I mean it looked like the house in my dream but I don't know anything about the people who lived here...”

“Sounds like a dream, not like a nightmare...”

“It ended... badly.”

She wants to continue but the words simply don't come out. She has no idea why, but telling Rafa about the cliff, about the sensation of falling and the deep rooted fear of landing on the swirling water and of dying is simply too much for her to talk about. Even the memory of that particular part of the – vivid – nightmare still scares her and makes her feel cold and vulnerable. Of course Rafa doesn't give up that easily. He can see the distress showing on her face and he wants to make sure she is okay. But Meri can't tell him. Not here, not yet. She needs time.

“How?”

“I... I don't want to talk about it.”

“Okay...”

Rafa gives her space – despite the fact that he is definitely curious to hear more about her strange dream – and they don't talk about the nightmare again. They go downstairs for breakfast instead and are both surprised to find Mirka and Roger up and about already. It's only 7.30, but as it turns out the Swiss couple has been up for a while. Obviously it has been a bad night for all of them and it downs the mood a little while they eat.

The atmosphere is strangely subdued while they have breakfast with Roger and Mirka downstairs in the dining room and neither one of them says much. The silence is so thick, one could cut it with a knife and Roger is the first who feels too uncomfortable with it to have it go on any longer. His choice of topic however is not the best as he mentions – much to Mirka's dismay judging from the expression on her face – the odd occurrence in the kitchen his wife has witnessed.

The second Roger mentions the whispering of some disembodied voice, Meri pales. She doesn't know why she feels so bad all of a sudden. After all she has never even heard a voice in her dream. She has only felt sadness and loneliness and desperation... But something deep inside her gut tells her that these two events – Mirka's scare and her own nightmare – are linked somehow. She wants to find out how, she wants to find out what is going on here and she makes a suggestion that is completely disconnected from what Roger has just told him.

“We should check out the family cemetery.”

“What does a cemetery have to do with what I told you about the pipes and waterlines? And why would you want to go there? It's a cemetery. What do you expect to find there?”

“Headstones.”

Roger frowns at Meri's response but the younger woman has her focus solely trained on Mirka. It's a little disconcerting, the way the two women look at one another and seem to have some sort of silent conversation their partners are not allowed in on. They never say a word, but they seem to come to some sort of understanding. Roger however doesn't like it. Neither Mirka's oversensitive behavior nor Meri's odd suggestions. Something is going on here and he wants to get to the bottom of it.

“You two seem more than just a little spooked. Are you sure you're okay?”

“She had a nightmare last night. It left her rattled...”

It is Rafa who answers in Meri's stead and his girlfriend gives him a sour look in response. Obviously this is not something she has wanted the Swiss couple to know about. Or at least she hasn't wanted Roger to know about it. Whatever connection there is between Mirka and her has the older woman give Meri a sympathetic look. Obviously Mirka is not the only one affected by these strange, but entirely easy to explain occurrences at the house. Both women seem rattled and in Meri's case, being denied her wishes to go exploring actually makes her just a tiny bit testy. Her facial expression closes off and she crosses her arms in front of her chest.

“Can we go to the family plot or not?”

“Of course, if that's what you want.”

Rafa answers without actually consulting the Swiss couple at first, but then again it's not like they all need to go. Rafa and Meri can do that on their own. They are here as two couples, not as a whole group and they can go and do their own separate things. Roger for one would rather like to go back to the beach or take another swim in the Jacuzzi instead of visiting an old cemetery on a hill... But Mirka has other plans and judging from the determination in her voice, that means Roger's choices have just been made for him.

“I would like to come with you.”

They leave half an hour after breakfast and Meri leads the way. Roger has offered to take one of the small maps along, which they have of the island so they will not accidentally lose their way. But it seems Meri knows exactly where they are going and she is determined to the point of being just a tiny bit obsessive. As if that wouldn't be disconcerting enough, Mirka seems to be just the same keeping pace with the younger woman, both of them leaving their partners behind. At least it gives the two men a chance to talk, though they don't really come to terms or a conclusion as to what is going on with both Mirka and Meri.

“What is all this about?”

“I don't know, Rogi. All I know is that Meri is not acting like herself. Something like a nightmare – even a bad one – wouldn't affect her like this... I just hope seeing the cemetery for what it is – a patch of grass with a couple of gravestones with no mystery to it whatsoever – will help her...”

“Mirka is exactly the same. First that thing with the light bulbs and now the water... I'm beginning to think coming here was a bad idea...”

Roger doesn't suggest they leave. Despite the strangeness of the last couple of days this is still a very nice vacation spot and they have a chance to relax and be happy here, if only the women let go off their strange obsessions. Maybe everything will be better once they have seen there is no mystery at the graveyard, no malicious ghost. Just headstones... It's not a long walk – less than 20 minutes – before they reach the family plot of the Bedford family.

It's a small stretch of green that is encircled by an iron fence. The headstones inside the patch of green are tilting, the inscriptions on most of them faded. It's an eerie place and not one to linger at. But instead of a short look, Meri actually finds the gate leading onto the cemetery grounds. She is still sure and determined in her actions and she knows exactly where she wants to go. She moves surely across the ground until she comes to a halt in front of one of the grave markers. The scripture on it isn't as faded as with most of the others. It reads

__

_Jeremiah Bedford_  
_Beloved son_  
_Born 1858_  
_Died 1877_  
_May the angels carry you to heaven on swift wings_

Meri visibly pales at the sight of the headstone and Rafa has no idea why she reacts so vehemently to the inscription. It's obviously been a tragic and untimely death – the person buried here only having been 19 when his life had ended – but the inscription is nice and shows the love and affection the boy's relatives must have felt for him. Still Meri is more than just a little rattled at the sight, her voice barely more than a whisper when she finally reacts audibly to what she is seeing in front of her.

“That's it. That's the headstone I saw in my dream... How... how could I have seen that in my dream if I have never been here before?”

“Maybe there was a picture in one of the brochures or a description?”

Just like Roger has done with Mirka before, Rafa tries to calm Meri, tries to come up with a reasonable explanation. He is sure her dream is based on some sort of information she has picked up on before they have come here. He himself doesn't remember anything about pictures of the cemetery in the brochure but he hasn't paid that much attention to it. He does remember Mike telling them something about the cemetery. Maybe that has somehow played a role in Meri's nightmare. His attempt to soothe her does not exactly work out as planned though.

“I... I don't know. I don't think so.”

“Coincidence?”

“There are an awful lot of very strange coincidences on this island.”


	11. A figure in the dark

After their return from the Bedford family cemetery the weather takes a turn for the worse. It happens from one minute to the next – the sunny blue sky suddenly marred by heavy, dark rain clouds, the wind picking up and the temperature dropping. They definitely can't spend time outside like this and it gets even worse when a heavy rain settles in and does not stop again for the next couple of hours. The weather stays like this way into the evening.

They split up to spend their day at the house, but not in the way one would expect. Rafa and Roger settle in the living room, while the girls are holed up in the kitchen. Neither Mirka nor Meri have actually said they want to be left alone, but it is sort of a mutual, unspoken agreement. So the two men leave their respective partners alone and the women settle at the table in the kitchen with a pot of tea... and war stories to swap. So far it seems it is only them who are affected by whatever is going on in this house. Both Rafa and Roger have either rationalized any strange occurrences away or simply haven't experienced them until now. Mirka and Meri however have... and dealing with them on their own has not exactly helped them. So now they decide to talk and come to some sort of conclusion together.

It's a little strange, sitting together like this, sharing their fears and worries. They aren't close and neither of the two women would go as far as calling the other a friend. But they are going through the same kind of disconcerting experience, have been plagued by the same kind of odd and somewhat scary events and talking about it actually helps, even if they still don't know what the cause of all this is. Meri starts, telling Mirka a little about her dream and the older woman is quite interested and curious about it.

“Did... did you hear a voice in your dream?”

“No. I think I... I was her – the woman who lived in this house. I wasn't watching her, I was being her...”

“And she went to the cemetery?”

Meri nods in response to Mirka's question and tries her hardest to recall every last detail from her dream. She definitely remembers the headstone, remembers the name and the date of birth and death. The inscription beneath it had been blurred in her recollection of her dream, displaced by the emotions she had felt in that moment – the desperation and the grief that had caused the woman she had been in her dreams to walk to the cliff and end her life... Even now – with almost a day of distance to her dream - Meri still has a hard time talking about what happened next.

“Yes. She looked at the headstones and I felt an overwhelming sadness when she was there. Then she went to the cliffs...”

“And did what?”

“She jumped. That's when I woke up.”

Mirka gives her a sympathetic look in response to Meri telling her about the final moments of her nightmare. Both women take a sip of the tea they have made for themselves before Mirka continues with a response. It seems they both need a moment to gather their thoughts and find a way to deal with whatever has been happening to them ever since they have come here. Neither one of them actually seems to want to say it out loud, but it feels a lot like they are being... haunted.

“I'm sorry.”

“It's okay. It was just a dream. Nothing like what happened to you...”

Mirka huffs at that and laughs a small, humorless laugh before shrugging her shoulders in response. She looks kind of helpless doing it and Meri fully understands why that is. Her nightmare has been disconcerting but it has been just a dream. Dreams are nothing uncommon, dreams happen to everybody. The things Mirka has experienced however are a lot harder to grasp and even harder to make any sense of. Actually Mirka tries to come up with something rational to say, but that definitely is too easy for this whole, complex and somewhat strange situation they are in. Meri shakes her head no in reply.

“I'm not sure what happened to me. Maybe I'm just a little over-sensitive...”

“Two times in a row? First the light and then the water? And you're not the only one. Those gusts of cold air? I felt them too. On the very first day when we first dropped our stuff in our bedroom...”

“What do you think is going on here?”

“I don't know.”

Actually Meri has a faint idea of what might be going on here, but she doesn't want to say it out loud. Judging from the expression on Mirka's face, the older woman is just as reluctant to phrase her thoughts. They both finish the tea in their cups, but when Mirka picks up the teapot, she has to realize it is empty already. Obviously having the tea has been sort of their distraction and way of deflecting while they have this not exactly pleasant conversation. Mirka gives Meri a smile as she holds out the empty pot to her.

“More tea?”

“Gladly. I'll help you.”

They both get up and walk over to the sink. It's a little like having strength in numbers, especially as the last time Mirka has tried to prepare a hot beverage in the kitchen, the water has whispered to her... This time nothing happens when she turns on the faucet. Maybe it is because Meri is here with her. The two women wait for the pot to fill so they can brew more tea and both of them look out the window located directly above the sink while they wait.

Because of the bad weather, it is dark outside already. The wind has picked up even more and the rain has never stopped. They both see it at exactly the same time, when a stroke of lighting – the first and only one tonight – illuminates the meadow in front of the house. There is somebody there – a figure, a female figure in a floor length wide dress and some sort of coat. She is just standing there – not moving, not doing anything, the rain pounding down on her.

Mirka yelps and Meri gasps. It's just a split second and then the sky is dark again and they can't see the figure any more. But they are both absolutely sure they have seen something out there and they have both seen exactly the same thing. Both their reactions provoke the almost immediate appearances of their respective partners. Both Roger and Rafa look worried and alarmed when they enter the kitchen and upon Roger's question Mirka reacts without any filter to her answer.

“What's wrong? Are you two okay?!”

“We... There's something out there.”

“Something?”

Rafa joins in on the conversation, frowning at the phrasing Mirka has used. From everything Mike has told them, the only animals on the island are birds and they should not have scared the two women like this. Mirka takes a deep breath and then the older woman explains it again in more detail and Meri chimes in as well, confirming the somewhat fantastic story Mirka tells them. But both women seem entirely convinced of what they have seen – as unlikely as it seems.

"I think we saw someone out there. Somebody in a long black coat or cloak or dress..."

“Yes, that was it. A woman, I think. In a black dress and wearing a heavy coat. Mirka is right.”

"Are you sure?"

This time it is Roger asking for further explanation and confirmation. The animal story – as he has been sure that was the something Mirka had been talking about was – had already seemed unlikely to him. But some strange woman they know nothing about wandering around the island in a middle of a heavy rainstorm? That sounds entirely impossible. He watches as Meri and Mirka share a quick look, but neither one of the women are swayed by his questions. They keep to their story.

"Not 100 percent. How can we be? I mean it is dark, but... I'm pretty sure...”

“Me too. Did... did the proprietor say anything about staff or other people here on the island?"

“No. Should... should we go check? It's pretty bleak out there tonight. If somebody is wandering around all alone out there, they could catch a cold... or worse wander off a cliff by accident.”

“No!”

Both women react at exactly the same time and with the same kind of vehemence. Their voices rise in both pitch and volume and it would be almost comical, weren't they both so... scared. Seeing that person – or whatever else it was – out there, has left them deeply rattled and uncertain. Rafa can't help but frown at their unwillingness to let him and Roger check outside. If there really is somebody out there in the rain, it would be irresponsible to just leave them there.

“Why not? They might need our help.”

“I don't think there is anybody out there.”

“But you two just said you saw someone...”

The two women share a knowing look in the wake of Rafa's question. They know what they have seen – Meri probably even better than Mirka – and they know what they have experienced is not some corporeal being. It is the woman from Meri's dream and the voice from Mirka's encounter here in the kitchen earlier today. If Meri's nightmare is actually true, that woman is dead and has been for a long time. It is supernatural and fantastic but it is the only explanation there is. Getting Rafa and Roger to believe in that however is a whole different matter. Meri crosses her arms in front of her chest, trying not to sound too defensive as she explains her and Mirka's reasoning.

“She means nobody alive.”

“What? We have zombies wandering around on our lawn?”

“This isn't funny!”

“It's ridiculous is what it is. Just because you think you have heard something scary and you have had a nightmare...”

Roger, who sounds annoyed and very much angry with them simply for telling him what they believe is the truth, points to his wife first and then to Meri, an accusing expression on his face. He is sure they are not joking around and actually feel genuinely scared but this is simply too much. Both women have ruined this entire day for them already and Roger for his part is not willing to indulge in that any longer.

“... doesn't mean the supernatural is suddenly real and walking around the house in the middle of the night!”

“What do you suggest it was then?! There is nobody else on the island!”

Of course Mirka reacts defensive to his angry words. She feels being wronged and to some extend Roger can understand that. But – and he would never say that out loud because he knows it would cause a major argument – to him both Mirka and Meri are reading too much into simple coincidences and are being more than just a little oversensitive and hysterical in the process. By now he feels tired of having the very same conversation yet again.

“It was probably nothing. A shadow of something, maybe an animal or a small bush or tree moving in the wind. Your overactive imagination playing tricks on you. You both have been kind of rattled an worried and sensitive today.”

“So we are crazy?! Is that it?”

Meri's voice is thick with accent and righteous anger as she accuses Roger of overlooking the very fact that they have both seen the same thing out there and are of sound mind. They cannot be sure, that much is true, but that doesn't mean they have had a mutual hallucination. Rafa is the one to chime in before Roger can reply, trying his hardest to diffuse a very loaded situation.

“No. You are simply reading too much into entirely ordinary things. You feed your fear. And while that is understandable, it is not okay. I know you both think something is going on here, I know you feel unsure and maybe even a little scared. But – please – don't ruin this holiday for all of us. Now if you want, Roger and I will check outside...”

“No.”

Even now – with the attempt to explain and to soothe them and make it clear there is nothing to be feared out there – neither Mirka nor Meri want the two men to go outside. This is definitely an argument neither side can win and in the end, Roger comes up with the one viable solution. If they cannot find a common ground, it is best to forget about the whole matter – at least for now. After all these are their holidays. They should try to enjoy them.

“Then let's forget about this and have dinner.”


	12. Reflections

Their evening together is very much subdued and they don't talk much any more. They prepare dinner and eat in silence in the dining room, staying away from the windows and not picking up the earlier conversation again. Rafa suggests a movie after dinner, but neither the Swiss couple nor his girlfriend feel up to that. Instead they decide to go to bed early. Maybe everything will be better with the light of a new day...

Neither one of them sleeps very well. Mirka and Meri are too preoccupied by what they have seen out there in the rainy, stormy night and Rafa and Roger are still reeling from the rather heated discussion they have had in the wake of the women's experience. In the end they all fall asleep, but it's a restless night and the fact that the rainstorm is still raging outside is not helping at all. Neither one of them feels refreshed when they wake in the morning and the atmosphere between them is still very much strained.

It is worse for Roger and Mirka, because she still feels mistreated and like Roger has been very much condescending towards her. He has shown little to no empathy for what she is going through and it is part of the reason she decides to stay away from him this morning and go and take a nice hot bath instead. Hopefully the warm water and the nice scent are going to help her calm down and relax. Especially as the weather outside is not much better today. The rain has stopped but the sky is still cloudy and the wind is still raging.

She puts the water on in the bathroom to fill the tub and her hand hovers above the faucet for a long moment before she touches it. She is... not exactly afraid but apprehensive. After what has happened the last time she has used the water, she simply fears a repeat... especially after seeing that... ghost outside late last evening. In the end Mirka forces the motion and turns the water on. Nothing happens. There are no sounds, no whispers, no sudden appearances of anything out of the ordinary. It is simply warm water flowing into the tub.

Mirka slips out of the bathrobe she is wearing, with only the pajama top underneath to cover her. She adds a couple of bath salts to the water and goes back to the small shelf next to the door to fetch the book she has brought and a bottle of water. She returns to the tub, shuts off the water and is about ready to place both the water and the book on the edge of the tub, when she has a quick look at the water surface. It's only a silhouette but she can see the outline of her face. The water wrinkles – like somebody or something has moved it – all of a sudden and when it calms back down and the surface is smooth again, there is a second outline, a second face.

For a moment, all Mirka manages to do is stare at it. While her own features stay obscure, the second face suddenly seems more pronounced. It is pale, almost translucent, framed by dark hair that is pulled back somewhere at the back of the head. Her eyes are dark, black like coal, her lips bloodless and her mouth is drawn into a thin line. For a second the face is completely still on the surface and then the face's mouth moves and a hiss can be heard.

“Leave this place!”

Mirka stumbles back and drops both the water bottle and the book she has been holding onto. She screams – in fear, in terror, in absolute horror – and she isn't even aware of it. She ends up with her back against the bathroom wall, her hands trembling uncontrollably and her breaths coming in short, quick gasps. Her face and fingers are tingling with the lack of oxygen and she is barely aware of her surroundings any more – until two strong hands grab her by the upper arms and shake her gently. She yelps, fights and suddenly realizes she is not being attacked. It is her husband who has come to her aid and she can barely make sense to him as he tries to understand what is happening to her.

“Mirka?! What the hell happened?! You're white as a sheet! Are you okay?!”

“There. Water.”

She gets the words out but her voice is a shaky whisper and even just those two words – the few syllables it takes – are almost too much to bear. She can't say anything else, can't explain it further and instead she reaches her arm forward and points vaguely in the direction of the bathtub where the steaming water is rising in small clouds of humid air. Her hand is trembling as she points to the water she has planned to get into... to relax.

“What? What is it?”

“Water. Face....”

She is most definitely not making any sense to her husband – how could she, she is barely making any sense to herself. But her hand stays stubbornly outstretched and finally Roger seems to get the hint. It's not what Mirka wants though. She doesn't want him to go over there, doesn't want him to look at the water. But she is too slow, cannot grab for his arm, cannot make him stop and Roger approaches the bathtub to check what his wife is trying to tell him. Mirka's heart clenches painfully as her husband peers into the tub... only to turn seconds later and give her a half worried, half annoyed look.

“There is nothing there, hon? What on earth happened?”

The face, the entity, the apparition – whatever it was she has seen in the reflection of the water's surface – is gone. They are alone again, safe again. Mirka takes a deep breath that does little to nothing to calm her down. But at least she feels a little more clear now, a little more capable of formulating an answer that will actually help Roger understand what has just happened here and has left her so utterly rattled.

“I... I was about to get in the tub when I looked down at the water. I... I saw my own reflection, but there was something else, somebody else.”

“You saw more than one reflection?”

“Yes! And the second one – it wasn't my face. There was somebody else reflecting in the water and... and I screamed and I turned but there was nobody there when I did, and...”

Mirka's voice breaks and she cannot find the right words to go on. Even the memory of that pale face and that awful voice talking to her yet again, it sends a shiver down her spine and makes her throat close up. She takes a shaky breath and a pained sob escapes her lips. This has all been too much... Roger crosses the distance between them with a few quick strides, gathers her in her arms and rubs soothing circles on her back. It helps – the physical contact and the warm solidity of his body – but what he has to say to her does not help at all. Because he is wrong.

“Hey, it's okay...”

“This is not okay. None of this is...”

Roger nods but he doesn't understand, not really. He is still deeply rooted in his believe, that nothing has happened and that she is just sensitive and imagining things and that there is a rational explanation. That is what he keeps grasping for even now. Mirka pulls away from him and can't help the anger bubbling up inside of her. Roger is being condescending again, even now, even after yet another encounter they cannot explain away.

"It was just a trick of light or something. You probably saw your own reflection and weren't expecting it."

"I am not scared or crazy! I saw what I saw!"

"And what was that?"

"A ghost!"

Mirka is aware how silly her conclusion sounds. But if all logical and reasonable explanations are exhausted, only the supernatural is still left. And that disembodied voice and the translucent face she has seen reflecting in the water, that has definitely been a supernatural occurrence. But Roger hasn't been there, hasn't seen it and just like before he does not believe her. The one thing he does believe in is his own standard for what is normal, and he is being condescending yet again in his approach. Mirka doesn't really care tough. All she wants by now, is to get away.

"There's no such thing as ghosts. You're just a little nervous because of all those strange things happening around the house. But they can all be logically explained. This place isn't haunted, there is no ghost living in the attic and there was nobody else reflecting in the mirror but you."

"I want to leave this place."

"Let's go talk to Rafa and Meri, see what they have to say about it."

"This is not about them. They can stay in this godawful place if they want. I will NOT."

“If that's what you want...”

“Yes!”

Roger's first instinct is to protest again. They have paid good money for this place and they have all agreed to come here. But Mirka is afraid and she is unhappy being here and the last thing Roger wants to do is to force her into doing something his wife feels uncomfortable about. And she is not the only one who doesn't feel happy here on the island. Meri has been just as shaken and fearful last night... Maybe it is time to cut this holiday short.

“Okay. I'll talk to them, let them know, ask them what they want and then I'll go to the boat house and call Mike, let him know he needs to come and pick us up.”

“Thank you.”


	13. Before the storm

After draining the water from the tub and making sure his wife is okay on her own, Roger puts on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie before heading off to Rafa's and Meri's bedroom on the other end of the corridor. He knocks on the door and is asked to come inside. He expects the couple to be up and about but he turns out to be wrong. The couple is still in bed – though in a semi-seated position – in their pajamas and with Meri in Rafa's arms, her head resting on his shoulder. Roger feels like he is disturbing on a very private moment.

“I didn't mean to intrude...”

“It's okay.. We just decided to stay in bed a little while longer, cuddle, wait until we felt ready to get up.”

“Oh... Okay.”

Roger still feels very much uncomfortable standing there, watching the couple like this. He has barely ever witnessed the couple in an intimate situation, just as Meri has never once watched him and Rafa kissing or even hugging. It's simply not how their agreement works. Those two relationships they each have, are mostly kept separate. Obviously his discomfort shows on his face, but luckily he has an easy way out, a chance to explain it away other than to admit that he doesn't like being here, intruding on the couple.

“You look troubled. Is there something wrong?”

“Mirka wants to leave the island.”

“Thank god...”

Meri is mumbling under her breath – probably more to herself than to their benefit – but it is distinct enough for both Roger and Rafa to pick up on it. She has sat up straight by now and gives her boyfriend an apologetic smile as Rafa frowns at her now. Roger isn't really surprised to hear Meri's reaction. He has realized it before, when Mirka had first demanded they leave the island. Both women are unhappy and very much apprehensive to be here. Of course Meri is happy to leave as well. Rafa however seems just a little oblivious to that fact.

“Meri?”

“Look, I know you don't believe either of us but there is something going on on this island, in this house... Something strange. And I feel just like Mirka. I don't want to be here anymore.”

“That's okay. I... I think it's best that way?”

The question is mostly meant for Roger, who tries his best to force a smile on his lips. It looks strained, he is pretty sure of it. After all this island and the house has been his choice and now it is such a damn bust. He would have loved for all four of them to have a good time here. But it's simply not meant to be. Roger focuses his attention on Rafa, as he does not want to go out there in this bad weather and with a storm raging all on his own.

“I... erm... I wanted to ask you to come with me to the boathouse so we can call Mike and ask him to pick us up.”

“I'll be ready in a couple of minutes.”

Roger nods and hovers for just a moment longer before he turns and leaves. After all it's not his place to stand in the couple's bedroom, watching Rafa get dressed. He can wait outside and that is exactly what he does. Rafa is already on his way out of bed and over to the closet when the door to the room closes behind Roger. He picks up a pair of jeans and a pullover and turns to face his girlfriend before he changes into a set of regular clothes, giving her a soft, almost apologetic smile.

“I'm sorry this turned out so bad...”

“It's okay. We go home now, take the yacht out, spend a couple of days out on sea in the sun, just the two of us?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Go and get us off here.”

Meri is smiling at him now and it is the first genuine and happy smile Rafa sees on her face in days. It's also the first time since their second day here that she is being light-hearted and mischievous with him. It's a little disconcerting and sad of course, because it only shows how much Meri is unwilling to stay here on the island even a day longer. But Rafa has to admit her plans for the rest of their time off together are indeed perfect. Going back home and spending some quality time with Meri sounds great... and maybe he and Roger find a way to spend a couple of days of their down time in the same place as well. Leaving this island maybe isn't as bad as Rafa initially felt it would be...

He finishes getting dressed, steps up to the bed and places a soft, quick kiss on his girlfriend's cheek before stepping out of the bedroom. Roger is waiting for him in the hallway and they walk downstairs together. It is not cold but very, very windy when they leave the house and closing the front door behind them actually takes some effort. It's not as bad as it was last night but the weather is definitely still stormy and Rafa has sort of a bad feeling about it all. He lives on an island after all – he knows how rough the sea can get when there is a storm like this.

They walk down the paved path to where the boat house is and Rafa is glad it's not just a cobblestone walkway. Those – as well as the meadows surrounding the house – are completely soaked through from last night's rain. He can't help but pay extra close attention to their surroundings, half expecting that mysterious stranger from last night Mirka and Meri have seen to show up somewhere. But it doesn't happen. They are the only ones on the island.

They reach the beach and Rafa finds his worst suspicions proven right. The waterline has risen by at least two meters and the waves are reaching the strip of green above the sand already. It is a violent, dark sea and in his book there is no chance for a small boat like the one Mike used to get them here to get to the boat house safely. He reaches for Roger's arm to get his attention and points out the shoreline to him.

“Look at the water, the waves...”

“What about them?”

“They're too high. Half the boat house is probably flooded already... Mike won't be able to come get us.”

“You don't know that.”

Roger sounds defensive and very much like he does not want to hear what Rafa has to say, but the Swiss should very well know that he can trust Rafa when it comes to the sea and how to maneuver it. It's not like he has never been caught out on the ocean in a storm before and none of those times have exactly been pleasant. Obviously the Swiss needs that pointed out to him, because he seems to have forgotten Rafa knows a thing or two about boats and waves and bad weather...

“I own a yacht, remember? I know a thing or two about navigation and nautical science... We won't be able to leave.”

“Let's just call Mike and see how it goes.”

It's not a bad suggestion and if it helps Roger to keep his calm, Rafa is willing to let the older man be. Just as expected, the water has risen inside the boathouse too and the wooden walkways left and right of where the boat was moored when they first came here are wet and slippery. They both get their feet more than just a little wet as they maneuver over to the little booth that contains the satellite phone. Inside the small wooden structure the crashing of the water against the shore is almost deafening.

Roger picks up the phone and puts his free hand over his ear. He has to, otherwise there is no chance for him to understand what Mike will be saying on the other end of the line. It takes a while for the man on the mainland to pick up on them and when he does, all Rafa can do is to watch the conversation with growing concern. He can barely make out what Roger is saying but judging from the way the expression on his face darkens with every sentence Mike has to offer in reply, Rafa is pretty sure it is not good news.

The cold ocean water is lapping at his feet, getting into his boots and making his socks all soggy and squishy. They need to get out of here and they need to get warm, otherwise they will both catch a cold in this damn weather. Luckily it seems they don't have to stay here for much longer, because Roger has just ended the call with Mike and has hung up the phone. He motions to Rafa to follow him outside where it isn't as loud as here in the boathouse.

The Swiss looks pretty much stricken when he turns to face Rafa as soon as they are back outside on the paved walkway. Roger has wrapped both arms around his torso and it is not just to protect him from the cold gusts of wind caused by the stormy weather. Just as Rafa has already expected, Mike has not had good news for Roger. The older man sighs softly and finally lets Rafa in on what the proprietor of the rental home has told him.

“He said he can't get us until at least tomorrow morning. He has to wait for the weather to clear and that won't be before tonight and he can't take the boat out in the dark either. As long as this storm is raging... we are stuck.”

Rafa nods his head and refrains from telling Roger that he has known this will be the outcome of the conversation right from the start. There is nothing they can do in this weather but to stay put and wait it out. Hopefully they will be on their way home by tomorrow. Until then they can try to make the best of their situation. For now that means to go back to the house and get out of those wet shoes and socks.

“Let's go back. We have to tell Meri and Mirka.”

“They won't be pleased...”

“It's just another 20 to 25 hours, Rogi. We will be fine.”


	14. And the waters ran red

Mirka and Meri are at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee each, when Roger and Rafa return to the house. Both women look anxious and have barely touched the coffee in their cups. Roger is pretty sure Mirka has told Meri about what has happened – or what she believes has happened – in the bathroom this morning and from the look on the younger woman's face, Meri believes her. Both women seem to relax just a little bit when he and Rafa return. Being alone in the house definitely has made them feel uncomfortable and Mirka especially can't wait to get underway from the way she gets up almost immediately as soon as the two of them enter the kitchen, ready to spring into action.

“We were about to go upstairs and pack... You two have a coffee and warm up again, you look like you are freezing...”

“We can't leave.”

Roger hates to burst the bubble and quell Mirka's enthusiasm about a chance to leave the island, but he can't very well hide it from her. As much as he dislikes her sensitivity, he dislikes the fact that he has to tell her bad news even more. Rafa has been right from the start – the weather is just too bad... Mirka's reaction is exactly as Roger expects it – harsh, defensive and disbelieving. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and glares at him, like any of this is actually his fault... After all he is just the messenger here.

“What do you mean, we can't leave?!”

“I spoke with Mike and he said there is no chance for him to get us off the island as long as the weather stays that bad. He said the storm is supposed to die down tonight and that he cannot get us before tomorrow...”

“Great, that's just great!”

“I'm sorry...”

Roger has no idea why he apologizes. It's a force of nature they are dealing with here and there is nothing to be done about that. His apology however does something none of the logic arguments have managed to achieve so far. It calms Mirka down enough to make her see, that she is being unfair and that being emotional like this is not going to help them. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes for just a moment and then steps up to Roger, pulling him into a quick hug before smiling at him – a somewhat strained, watery smile.

“That's okay, hon. It's not your fault. I... I'm sure we can manage one more night.”

“How about I make a new pot of coffee? I'm sure we can use it.”

Meri interjects and even though the suggestion of something as mundane as more coffee seems kind of stupid and pointless to her, at least it is something for her to do, something to keep herself occupied with. They have at least one more day they need to hold out here on the island and they need to make the best of it. Trying to keep things casual and normal seems the best way to achieve exactly that and this far nobody has protested her idea.

Meri doesn't wait for agreement or protest, but walks over to the coffeemaker and picks up the pot, filling the remnants into two empty cups for Rafa and Roger, before taking the empty pot to the sink. She has heard about what has happened to Mirka, she knows the whole story and she is apprehensive. First the sink in the kitchen, then the tub in the upstairs bathroom... It doesn't take a genius to see a pattern there... Her hand is trembling ever so softly as she reaches out to turn on the water.

Nothing bad happens. The water runs – just like it is supposed to – and Meri relaxes. It doesn't last. The moment she picks up the pot to place it under the stream of the water, something changes. There is a sound in the pipes that sounds almost like a moan and then the water spurts and stops. Meri – inadvertently – takes a step back and it is just in time. Thick, red blood is bubbling from the faucet and flowing freely into the sink, filling it, marring it, gurgling and squishing.

Some instinctual reaction has Meri reach out the hand and shut off the water, before she stumbles back, horrified and nauseated. She winces when she bumps into a solid mass behind her that turns out to be her boyfriend. Instinct takes over once again and Meri turns and wraps her arms around Rafa. The Spaniard gathers her in his arms and rubs soothing circles on her back, but he can't help his own horror that leaves him incapable of saying anything supportive to her. Roger is the first to react.

“What the hell was that?!”

“You saw it this time... You saw it, too!”

“Yes, we... we saw it too.”

Rafa is the one to answer Mirka's almost triumphant question, his own voice hoarse and void of any emotion. He is still trying to make sense of what has just happened there. What of the thick red fluid has not disappeared down the drain is coating the sink in crimson. This should not be happening, it should not be real. But it is what it is. While Rafa tries to accept that, Roger still seems to be in the process somewhere between anger and denial.

“What the hell is going on here?!”

“Maybe a broken pipe?”

Rafa is very well aware the explanation he comes up with sounds more than just a little lame. They have all seen the very same thing and this time there is no rationalizing the supernatural away that has just occurred here. Roger is actually walking over to the sink, pointing an accusing finger at the mess that is the blood still sticking to it. His hand is trembling and his voice is high pitched and breaking when he points out the obvious.

“That isn't mud or dirty water! It is blood! How can this be possible?”

“I don't know. But it is...”

“It can't be!”

“It's just like people walking around outside in the rain on an island where we're supposed to be alone! Just like whispers in the waterlines or reflections without anyone being there! Something is wrong with this place!”

It is Mirka who chimes in on the conversation between Rafa and her husband and as much as she tries to be calm and collected, she cannot help to sound condescending instead. Ever since she had first been scared by those flickering lights in the upstairs hallway, she has told Roger something is wrong with this house. Now they have all seen it, now they all know it is not just imagination. And there is absolutely nothing they can do to get away from it, which is exactly what Roger tells his wife.

“Be that as it may, but we cannot leave at the moment...”

“We cannot stay here either. This house is... trying to get us to go!”

“The house can't do anything. Maybe we should check... Turn... turn on the water again.”

Rafa is the one to make the suggestion and he sounds more than just a little unsure about it. The last thing he wants is a repeat of what they have just witnessed. But if there is something wrong with the house – with the waterlines especially – they need to make sure. He doesn't want to go over to the sink, he doesn't want to be anywhere near this mess, but somebody has to do it. He lets go of Meri, gently pushes her aside and walks over to the sink. He has taken only the first step when she tries to stop him but Rafa shakes his head at her, trying for a reassuring smile.

“But...”

“It's going to be okay.”

Rafa is very well aware of the fact that he is lying. He cannot be sure they will be fine because he simply doesn't know. None of them know – not what is happening and not what is going to happen. He has to keep the faith, has to keep his confidence. Otherwise he will only make the rest of the people watching him right now more nervous. He tries his hardest to ignore both the sight and the smell of the blood in the sink and turns on the water again. Nothing happens, nothing but the water – real water – running again. Behind him Mirka's disbelieving voice sounds.

“How can it be back to normal now?”

It is like Mirka has jinxed it with her words. It is less than two seconds after her words have been uttered, that the same, strange thing happens again. There is a moan and a rattling and then a bubbling can be heard in the pipes. It happens again but is slightly different this time. The water turns a bright red before it thickens and actually looks like blood again. Rafa tries to shut off the faucet again but it doesn't change anything. The water is shut off but the blood still flows freely and then a disembodied, furious shrieking sounds from the water faucet.

“Leave this place!”

Rafa practically jumps back from the sink as the shrieking sounds again and again, growing louder each time, until it finally stops and with it the running of the blood from the faucet. The four people of their little forlorn group look at one another – all of them pale, all of them rattled. Neither of them seem able to actually make sense of what is going on here and they need a moment to find their voices again... and come to some sort of conclusion as to what to do until they can finally leave this cursed island.

“We heard it. We all heard it... Dear god...”

“I think we should all settle in the living room for the rest of the day and through the night and I think we should call Mike again at first daylight. Okay?”

“Okay.”


	15. The writing on the wall

They hurry upstairs and pack their things – quickly and without any consideration for order. They simply stuff anything and everything they have brought into their bags and trolleys, pick up their pillows and blankets as well, grab a couple bottle of waters and some snacks from the kitchen and settle in the living room, planning only to leave it for the most basic needs and never to leave it alone. Nothing bad has ever happened in the living room until now and with all of them here, they can look out and protect one another.

Hopefully protection will not be necessary. So far none of the strange things they have witnessed have ever led to any kind of injuries. They have all been scared, they have been spooked and have been told to leave. But the ghost or spirit or whatever else is haunting them here has not manifested inside the house and it has not turned violent... yet. Neither one of them wants to find out what that malicious spirit is truly capable of. They all still have a hard enough time wrapping their heads around the fact that there truly is such a thing as a ghost in this house... let alone one that could harm them.

After the incident with the sink nothing else has happened. No more cold spots, no more flickering lights or shadows and silhouettes or disembodied voices. The house lies quiet... eerily quiet. It's like the calm before a storm. The day goes by slowly, the minutes seem to drag into hours and the weather never actually clears as it is supposed to. They don't dare to use any more electronic devices – like the stove or the TV – they don't leave the living room on their own, which is kind of awkward with every toilet break needed, and they barely talk to one another. They simply wait.

As much as they all wish for the next day to come when they can finally leave this island, they all dread the night that still lies in between them and the next morning. So far the ghost – this vengeful spirit – has been the most active at night. Mirka's problem with the lights, Meri's nightmare, they create kind of a pattern and with the ghost's attacks only getting worse, there is no telling how this night will play out...

The couples have each occupied one of the couches in the living room and have stayed pretty much to themselves for the last few hours. All four of them are emotional, they are scared, they are going through a tough time and they need the company and comfort of their respective partners. The conversations they have are hushed and the Spanish couple is cuddled up together, sharing one blanket while Rafa has an arm wrapped around his girlfriend and Meri's head is resting on his shoulder. She enjoys the closeness, enjoys the comfort it provides and it makes it easier for her to talk to him about the... madness that is going on here.

“You think we will be okay?”

“I'm sure of it.”

Rafa tries a smile, which is sort of pointless given the fact that Meri isn't looking at him but keeps her head rested on his shoulder. He pulls her in a little closer, hoping for the gesture to be more assuring than his tone of voice. He wants to be the stronghold Meri needs right now but this whole situation is bizarre for him as well... and it is scary. But he will never tell Meri this. She is worked up enough already as it is. However she is still very much herself – she doesn't give up on her curiosity that easily. She wants a proper explanation from him.

“Why?”

“Neither you nor Mirka have been hurt by this... apparition. If anything it seems like she has been trying to... communicate with you. Obviously not in a nice way though...”

“No. Not nice, not at all.”

“Come here.”

Meri has moved to look up at him, a somewhat disconcerted expression on her face when she tells him how much the situation has been weighing on her – especially with the nightmare she had. Rafa pulls her closer again, hugs her tighter and he can feel Meri relax in his arms. The situation may be strained and awful, but this is actually kind of nice. Maybe, just maybe they will get through this night without any further incidents…

On the other side of the living room table, Roger and Mirka share the second couch as well, using the same blanket for warmth and... security just the same as the Spanish couple. Their conversation however is a little more of the apologetic variety. Because unlike Rafa has been with Meri, Roger has not exactly been supportive with his wife these last couple of days. Now however is as good a time as any to make up for that...

“I'm sorry I didn't believe you...”

“I didn't give you much reason, did I? I mean from a rational point of view... I must have sounded crazy.”

“There is nothing logical about this. We have blood coming from the faucets and disembodied voices shrieking at us.”

Mirka gives a soft, strained sound that is probably supposed to be a laugh but sounds more like she is in pain. Roger grabs her hand and squeezes gently, causing her to look up at him. When she does, there are tears shining in her eyes. Roger honestly cannot remember the last time his wife has been rendered close to tears. She is usually so strong... He squeezes her hands harder and tries his best to reassure as she admits to her feelings.

“I'm scared...”

“It's just a couple more hours, hon. We will go home in a couple more hours.”

It is as if his words are a cue and he has somehow managed to jinx it. The window shutters are starting to tremble. It's not a lot at first and could be attributed to the wind from the bad weather outside, but it doesn't stay this mild for long. The trembling gets worse and then the shutters start to move, swinging back and forth violently on their hinges, banging against the frame of the windows, threatening to break the glass. The whole group focuses on the sound and movement anxiously, Roger being the first to comment on what is happening.

“I thought the storm was supposed to die down in the evening?”

“I don't think it's the storm...”

Mirka answers in a low, hollow tone of voice, dread clearly shining through. She is absolutely sure the shutters moving like this has nothing to do with any kind of weather phenomenon. The second she speaks the words, the movement of the shutters suddenly stops, just like somebody has reached out a hand and has held onto them, stopping them. And maybe that is exactly what is happening – somebody, or something, is trying to scare them.

In the wake of the sudden silence – with only the soft howling of the wind to be heard outside – the little group actually relaxes for just a moment, hoping against hope that they will have a calm rest of the night now and will be able to leave in the morning without any further harm or surprises. It doesn't last for long. A groaning sound can be heard – deep and hollow and disembodied – like the whole house is trying to move, but can't. One of the living room walls, the one furthest away from where they have settled, seems to... ripple all of a sudden and then a blood red writing appears on it.

_LEAVE_

It actually looks like blood, droplets dripping and running down the wall from where the letters have appeared. Mirka flinches – her facial expression pale and drawn – and hides herself away in Roger's arms. Meri does the same, but her reaction is accompanied by a verbal reaction that is somewhere between a groan and a shriek. Both women are deeply scared by what has just happened and – of course – Rafa and Roger feel just as overwhelmed and concerned by the writing that has appeared on the wall. The wall ripples again and more words follow, a very clear warning of things to come...

_LEAVE OR DIE_

This time Meri actually sobs and Mirka holds on to Roger's arms tightly, as if the action will actually help to ground her into reality – a reality that has suddenly started tilting on it's axis. The things happening here, all those strange occurrences and now the bloody red writing on the wall, none of this should be possible. But it is happening and they are being threatened. Mirka's hold on Roger's arms tightens even more, while Meri has buried her face in Rafa's chest, and the older woman is unable to keep the hysteria threatening to overtake her in the wake of this impossible nightmare at bay any longer.

“Why won't she leave us alone?!”

“Because we are still here...”

Roger answers Mirka's frantic question and he sounds resigned doing it. The writing on the wall is all too clear. The entity – a ghost, a malevolent spirit or whatever else it is – doesn't want them here and of course it doesn't understand that they cannot just go and leave this place even if they wanted to. Not in this weather. Unfortunately Mirka seems to have lost her sense for reality in that regard right now as well. She is holding onto Roger, her fingernails digging into his arms, her eyes wide and her voice trembling; urging him to leave the house – and the island – both with her gestures and her words.

“Let's go then! We have to go!”

“We can't...”

“I don't care! There has to be another way! A helicopter or the coast guard... I don't care! He has to get us! Now!”

Mirka's breathing is going so quickly and erratically, she is on the edge of hyperventilating. If at all possible, her eyes are even wider now and if her grip tightens any more, Roger is sure she will draw blood. He tries to get her to let go of his arms as gently as possible, wraps his hands around her elbows and pulls her closer, wrapping his arms around her and holding onto her tightly, whispering into her ear, hoping to calm her down.

“Hon, please... you have to try to calm down. We will find a way off the island, but you need to keep your composure.”


	16. Alone in the dark

It has taken a while before both women have calmed down again and the fact that the letters on the wall have simply disappeared after a little while has not made things better. It's impossible to stay on the island any longer, both Rafa and Roger are very well aware of that. Mirka and Meri are worried to the point of being frantic and the house or the island or the entity protecting it seems adamant to see them go. Rafa still doesn't like the idea, because with the waves and weather like this, there is little chance for them to leave. But they have to at least try and reach the mainland, if only to calm the two women down and make them see there is no other chance but to wait until the morning.

They are trying to come up with a plan on how to proceed right now. The problem with it is, that they don't want to leave their partners alone, but neither Roger nor Rafa want to take the trip back down to the beach and the boathouse alone either. Not after what they have just witnessed. Leaving Meri and Mirka in this haunted house sounds like a tremendously bad idea – who knows what the apparition will do – and going down to the beach without backup seems equally as stupid. It's a choice of the lesser of two evils.

“If we want to follow through on what this... thing wants, if we want to leave, we have to go to the boathouse.”

“No!”  
  
Both Meri and Mirka are very vehement in their denial of the suggestion. If they are scared for themselves, for their husband and boyfriend or if it is a mixture of both, is hard to tell. Either way, they don’t want the two men to go, don’t want to be left alone at the house, don’t want to risk any harm coming to them. But the only way off this island is to call for help from the mainland and they can only do that by leaving the house. As scary as that prospect is, it is the only one available.  
  
“There's no choice here. We have to go out there. The satellite phone is at the boat house down by the bay. If we want to ask for help, we have to go there.”  
  
“But that... thing is lurking out there! It could be dangerous.”  
  
“We'll take flashlights... and maybe a kitchen knife each?”  
  
Roger’s suggestion sounds utterly ridiculous, even to his own ears. This is a unique situation, one they are neither prepared for nor know how to properly handle. As fantastic and unbelievable as all of this is, it is still happening and they need to do something about it. Anything really… Some sort of protection is definitely not the worst idea… even if they have to protect themselves from a vengeful spirit. But it seems Roger’s solution is not one that they mutually share. Rafa is against it, Mirka vehemently concurs… and Meri seems too overwhelmed by this whole mess to do anything but follow their argument.  
  
“I don't think it's necessary....”  
  
“How can it not be necessary?! This... whatever it is, is trying to get rid of us! What if it's dangerous? What if it's going to try and hurt either of you? You need protection!”  
  
“But you think you saw a ghost. How is a knife going to help with that?”  
  
Rafa doesn’t mean to berate or humiliate Mirka, Roger is absolutely sure of that. He raises a valid question after all. But emotions are running high within all of them and they are in a tense situation they have little chance to escape from. It’s only natural that Mirka snaps at the younger man and nobody blames her for it.  
  
“How would I know? I'm no ghost expert!”  
  
In the end they decide to take a kitchen knife each – better safe than sorry. Flashlight, heavy coats against the rain and wind and rain boots, courtesy of the rental home, complete their ensemble. Still neither one of them feels prepared. Unlike their partners, they have barely even seen the apparition until now – only what it can do with faucets and walls – and of course they are preoccupied and scared even. But they need to leave - the house to call for help - as well as the island.  
  
The wind and the drizzling rain are biting and cold when they leave the house. But nothing... fantastic happens to them. The apparition doesn't show up again, there is no shrieking voice sounding in the wind and nothing attacks them or even brushes past them in a cold rush. Nothing but the wind. They walk at a brisk pace to reach the boathouse, eager to get this done and over with and get back out of the cold and wet. But things don't work out exactly in their favor.

When they reach the little boathouse, it is clear to see Rafa has been right from the start and things have gotten even worse since they have been here last. The beach is barely recognizable because the sand is completely covered by the waves crashing to the shore. Even getting to the boathouse is quite a challenge and they are really glad for the rain boots they are wearing, because otherwise their shoes as well as their pants would be soaked through by now. But with the water lapping at their feet, there is another – quite serious – problem for them to deal with. The door to the boathouse won't open.  
  
“This stupid thing won’t open!”  
  
Roger refrains from actually cursing at the door, because – of course – it doesn't change anything, but it takes quite a bit of effort. The Swiss isn't too proud to allow Rafa a chance to try as well. There is no denying the fact that the Spaniard is a muscular and well-built man after all. They switch position and Rafa tries as well, but the result is still the same. The door won’t budge. This time Roger curses – in his native tongue and quite extensively – before he changes back to English asking the rather important question as to how to proceed and unlike him Rafa actually seems less overwhelmed with this whole surreal situation. He proposes a solution – albeit a not exactly safe one.  
  
“What the hell do we do now?!”

“We separate. There is a side door, I think. I will try there.”  
  
“Are you sure?! The water is pretty high… and unpredictable.”  
  
Rafa nods solemnly but as much as he tries, he does not manage to look convincing. Even with the facts as they are – with their dire need to get off this island – he does not look like he actually wants to set even so much as a toe in the dark, swirling water. But yet again there is little choice left to them. This is an island after all. There is only one way off it and for that they need to reach the mainland and make their current situation abundantly clear.

Roger doesn't like the idea of letting Rafa try this. But he doesn't want to follow the younger man just the same. Unlike him, Rafa has spent almost all his life near or on the sea – at least whenever he has been home. He likes the water and he can handle these treacherous conditions. At least that is what the Swiss tells himself to calm his mind. Rafa will be okay. He will find his way to the side door, he will not lose his footing, fall into the churning, dark, icy water and drown... He will be fine.

The younger man gives him a rather wry smile and puts a hand on Roger's shoulder for just a second before disappearing around the side of the boat house. Roger stays right where he is. That is the plan. To wait here until Rafa finds his way and opens the door to the boathouse from the inside. The drizzling rain seems to be soaking through the coat he is wearing even though it should not and the wind makes him shiver. It is miserable out here... And he is all alone in the dark. A gust of wind grips his clothes, seems to make the waves run even higher, and Roger is sure he hears something splash.  
  
“Rafa?!”  
  
Roger is immediately alarmed and concerned for his friend's well being. A splash in the water can only mean Rafa has fallen... and might be in desperate need of help. But when Roger calls out, there is no answer. Roger rushes over to the side of the small building to check, but there is nobody there. He can't see Rafa anywhere... Panic settles deep in the pit of Roger's stomach. If the Spaniard has actually disappeared beneath the waves, there is nothing he can do for the younger man. He cannot save him... and he cannot go back to the house without him either.

Roger is at the edge of panicking, he is aware of it. But he can't do anything about it. His mind is racing, his thoughts are tumbling one over the other as he tries to decide what to do. He debates wading into the water, looking for Rafa, he debates trying to pry the door to the boat house again to get to the phone or even to run back to the house and get both Mirka and Meri for help. But he cannot decide and in the end he does nothing. He simply stands there by the side of the boathouse, staring out into the darkness, listening to the churning sea and the crashing waves.  
  
There is a rustling noise somewhere very close by, somewhere behind him, all of a sudden and Roger's heart almost stops. Instinct takes over as he grips the handle of the knife tighter. Other than that he doesn't move, doesn't dare to turn around and face whatever threat is right behind him. But then a hand lands on his shoulder and he yelps in fear and shock and swirls around, blindly slashing at whatever is trying to attack him with the knife he still holds onto. It's a fluid motion and he actually hits something solid with the blade. Something that gives a surprised moan of both shock and pain when Roger hits his mark.

He actually lets go of the knife and the thing would probably clatter falling to the ground if it would actually land in dry ground. Whatever he has heard by the side of the boat house has not been Rafa, because Rafa is standing right there in front of him and he is holding onto his left upper arm, a soft grimace of shock on his face. There is blood on his jacket. Not a lot and the drizzling rain has already started to wash it away, but it is definitely blood. In his frantic fear and panic, Roger has managed to cut Rafa, has managed to hurt him. For a quick moment Roger is rendered speechless and then the words tumble right out of his mouth.

“Oh my god... I... I was suddenly on my own and I didn't see you anymore... I heard a noise and I was scared and I thought it was that mystery person Mirka saw through the windows and I... I... It was instinct. I'm so sorry... Are you okay?”  
  
“I'll be fine. It's just a little cut. Nothing a band aid or a bit of gauze won't fix.”  
  
Rafa puts on a smile and a brave face, but Roger is still very much shocked at his own actions. He has never meant to hurt the younger man of course and he hates the idea of having done this. He would love a chance to take it back and as much as Rafa makes it sound like it is not a big deal, there is still blood on his clothes and Roger is the one who has caused it to be there. He wants to apologize – deeply and profoundly – but Rafa doesn't want to hear any of it. What he wants is to get this miserable endeavor of theirs over with and to get out of the dark, cold and wet.

“I'm so... so sorry.”  
  
“I'll be fine. I reached the side door and managed to open the front one from the inside. Let's go back in there and find that phone, call the mainland and then go back to the house. I'm wet to the bone and I'm freezing.”


	17. Third encounter

Their respective partners have been gone for more than 20 minutes now, and Meri is getting anxious. She hasn't paid much mind to Roger's wife, but they have stayed together in the same room. Neither one of them wants to be alone right now. It's to scary, and quite frankly they both feel it's way too dangerous. Who knows where the spirit lurks right now... and what it might do next. Though ever since both Roger and Rafa have left for the boat house, the house has been exceedingly quiet.

Meri is checking her watch for the umpteenth time ever since the two men have left. There is little else she can do... or rather wants to do for that matter, because she could go outside and follow them, but she doesn't dare do that. Maybe she is being a coward, maybe she should act instead of worry... Her thoughts are abruptly directed back to the here and now when Mirka on the other side of the table in the comfortable armchair, puts both her hands to her temples, massages them softly and then curses under her breath. Her voice is loud enough for Meri to hear... and to worry. 

“Damn it...”

“What is it?”

“I have a headache.”

It sounds like a minor problem to Meri, one with no real need to curse over, especially given their current predicament. After all there is a rather easy remedy for the problem at hand. All Mirka has to do is take some analgesic for the pain she feels. But scolding her or telling her off is definitely the wrong way to go. They are both tense and worried and anxious and snapping at each other will not make things better for them or help them to get off this island. So Meri swallows her impatience and mild anger bubbling up, puts a smile on her face and tries to be helpful instead.

“Do you need anything?”

“I have something. But I must've forgotten to pack them... My pain pills are still upstairs...”

“I have ibuprofen somewhere in our bags...”

Meri is about ready to get up and fetch the bag settled beside the couch to rummage through it and find the medication she is talking about. But Mirka stops her, a saddened smile and a shake of her head making it abundantly clear that Meri can't help the older woman. The movement of the head seems to send the pain in her head into overdrive, probably causing a spike of pain, and having Mirka moan ever so softly, before she explains her predicament.

“I'm allergic to those. I... I have to go get them.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No... No. I can do this. It's just a trip up the stairs, right?”

“Right.”

Both women smile at one another, but the expression doesn't reach either of their eyes. After all they are very well aware of their reason to have stayed behind, their reason to be anxious. There is something in this house – some vicious entity – that wants them to leave. The apparition has not shown itself again, but that doesn't mean it is suddenly gone. They are both very much aware of the fact, that they are not welcome here and that maybe they are very much in danger here.

Meri debates going against Mirka's wishes and pushing right past her rather weak attempt at deflection. She could simply join the older woman without offering again. But she does not mean to hurt Mirka's feelings in any way. She doesn't mean to send the older woman to do something on her own she rather would not want to face without some company either. She doesn't push her, but she does ask her again – more forcefully this time.

“Are you sure you will be okay on your own? You just admitted to not feeling well...”

“I'm not.”

“We could go upstairs together. I can keep an eye on you? Make sure you...”

“Get up the stairs alright? Thanks, Meri. But no thanks. It's a headache, not a stroke. I can manage on my own.”

Mirka sounds more determined this time and even though Meri is glad the older woman feels more assured about herself now, she still feels she has said the entirely wrong things to her and has made matters worse between them somehow. It's almost like she has managed to insult the older woman. Maybe she has indeed or maybe Mirka has come to realize that she is a grown woman and a grown woman should not be afraid of going up a set of stairs alone.

Meri watches as Mirka gets up from the armchair rather forcefully. Judging from the grimace that flashes across her face the sudden movement has caused another stab of pain to spike through the older woman's head. But the determination never leaves her face. She is dead set on being strong now, of not letting her fears dictate her actions. She watches as the older woman leaves the room and when she turns the corner and disappears to get to the staircase, a sudden feeling of dread settles in Meri's stomach. She pushes it away with a conscious thought. Nothing is going to happen.

Mirka is a little out of breath when she reaches the upstairs bathroom where she has forgotten to pack her pill bottle. She may be determined but that doesn't mean she doesn't still fear or worry. After all this evil spirit seems to come and go as it pleases... and so she has hurried. But so far all her worry has been without cause. She has gotten up the stairs into the bathroom and back out again without incident. Actually the house lies eerily quiet...

It is only when she reaches the upstairs landing of the staircase that something shifts. The hallway suddenly seems colder, less inviting and then the damn lights start doing what they have done so many times before – they flicker and go out. It is just for a moment and when the lights come back on, it's there again, in the middle of the hallway. The apparition, a figure in a dark dress, a pale face with deep dark eyes, lips drawn into a thin line, semi translucent and seemingly hovering right above the ground. Mirka has never seen the ghost this clearly... and she is frozen in terror. The apparition doesn't move, just stays there, hovering, waiting. And then the thing talks, whispers, hisses.

_“Leave.”_

“No...”

A breathless, desperate whisper is all that Mirka manages. She knows she has to get away, knows she needs to run down those stairs and get back to the safety of the well lid living room, where Meri is and where they have been safe until now. She needs to move... and yet she can't. All she can do is stare at the ghostly figure of a woman long dead and she cannot pry her eyes away... let alone move so much as an inch. She shakes her head ever so softly and whispers again, pleads with the unfeeling entity.

“Please...”

_“You did not listen. You did not leave.”_

There is reproach in the woman's voice and a coldness that makes it abundantly clear this is not a conversation between two living, breathing people. There is no mercy to be expected from this woman, no understanding, no sympathy or helpfulness. And still Mirka tries, tries to explain their current predicament. For a second the figure at the end of the hallway stays completely still and then a horrible, humorless smile widens her pale face.

“We're sorry... We tried. We're still trying. But we can't. We cannot leave.”

_“Now you'll never leave. Not until you're all punished for your atrocities.”_

The threat is unmistakable, but even now Mirka doesn't move. A threat is imminent now, there is no doubt about that, and the fact that she has no idea what exactly that threat is going to be and how much it will cost her, should worry her even more. And still she is rooted to the spot and can only stare. In the blink of an eye the ghost of the woman is suddenly not in the same spot any more, but rushing towards her. The apparition moves with a speed that is out of this world. Mirka never even has the chance to scream.


	18. Posessed

Meri is about ready to go after Mirka, because the older woman has been upstairs for quite a while now and she has started to worry about her again, when the front door bursts open and stops any thought the Spanish woman might have had of Roger’s wife. Despite her earlier fear, nothing holds the younger woman in the living room any more. She rushes to the door and it is only now that the thought occurs to her it might be just another cruel trick of the vengeful spirit haunting them.

Her fear is unsubstantiated though. There is no evil spirit awaiting her, but Rafa and Roger, who have returned from their trip to the boat house. They are soaking wet and judging from the expressions on both men’s faces they have not been successful in their endeavor. Meri’s heart sinks at the realization. But as she takes a closer look at the two men, her thoughts return to the here and now and to a more pressing matter at hand. Rafa is actually shivering and Meri springs into action, all nervousness and determination.

“My god, you must be freezing! I have a set of dry clothes in one of the bags I think and maybe a towel…”

She turns to leave and go to rummage through the hastily packed back they have taken downstairs with them from their bedroom, but Rafa stops her before she has a chance to even take a first step, giving her a shaky smile. He is still very much freezing, feeling both a little weak and definitely disconcerted. Their way down to the beach has not exactly been successful… And that in itself is a hard enough truth to tell already. 

“It’s okay. I’ll get them and get changed in the kitchen.”

He moves past her, not giving her a chance to protest and making an effort to move past her on his uninjured sight. Roger – who is watching the little scene - knows exactly why Rafa doesn’t want his girlfriend’s help and why he is so careful about his movements. If she were to help him, she would detect the cut on Rafa’s arm and that would raise a whole lot of questions neither of the two men is willing or prepared to answer. For now Meri is distracted though, but the question she has for him is still a difficult one to answer.

“How did it go? Did you call the mainland? When are they coming?”

“We did reach the boat house and we managed to call. But that’s where the good news end. The weather is too bad, the waves too high. They can’t come before morning. We are stuck…”  
  
A heavy silence falls between them as the younger woman realizes what Roger's admission – and their failure to get anyone to come for them – means. Whatever the malicious spirit has in store for them, they cannot flee from it. At least not right away. They have to wait out the night... and make sure they are alright through it – somehow. It's bad news of course, but the Swiss seems to have already found a way to arrange himself with the facts he cannot change anyway. His gaze wanders from Meri down the hallway as he tries to catch a glimpse of the living room but obviously doesn't find what he is looking for. He relies on the Spanish woman for help.

“Where is my wife?”

“She went upstairs to get some pain pills for her headache. Quite a while ago actually…”

They share a troubled look at the realization that Mirka has been gone a while already and it only adds more anxiousness to an already tense situation. Logically there is nothing for them to fear. As Mirka has proclaimed earlier already – it's just a trip up the stairs. But these are special circumstances and they both know that as well. Despite her rather vehement dislike of the idea to follow Mirka and leave the – relative – safety of the downstairs living room, Meri tries to be helpful…

“We could go look for her...”

*#*

Rafa has made his way back into the living room, has taken the whole bag Meri has packed, has made a short detour to the downstairs bathroom and has found both a towel and a basic first aid kit. Now he is in the kitchen, toweling himself off after having – rather rudimentary – taken care of the cut on his arm, clumsily wrapping the gauze of the bandage around it. It would be easier if he had help, but that is precisely the problem. Roger is already feeling guilty about this little accident and Meri would worry about him unnecessarily. That leaves only himself to do the deed.

He has managed well enough, Rafa feels, and drying himself off has helped immensely in getting warm again. He has picked a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants from the bag and is just about done getting dressed again – and concealing his wound and bandage in the process – when he hears a rustling sound right behind him. Turning around abruptly to face the noise, he finds Mirka standing in the doorway of the kitchen. He hasn't even heard her coming...

“Mirka! You startled me… Do you need anything?”

She doesn't answer, simply keeps on looking at him with that intense gaze. Something is off about her, feels entirely wrong, but Rafa can’t pinpoint what the problem is. Maybe it is the way she is standing there, staring at him with an empty expression in her eyes, making him feel vulnerable despite the fact that he has already taken care of his injuries and is dressed in a set of dry clothes and no longer shivering. She still hasn't spoken, and Rafa is about ready to ask her again if he can help her, when Mirka finally addresses him.

“You have no right to be here. You have no right to the… things you do. It’s not natural! It’s sinful and wrong but you will not stop. So you will be punished.”

What Mirka tells him makes no sense to Rafa whatsoever. He realizes too late that the older woman doesn’t even sound like herself, sounds nothing like he is used to and it takes another long moment before he becomes fully aware of the fact, that he is bearing witness to another supernatural occurrence. It is only when she moves closer – stiffly, almost mechanically – and something shines in her eyes, that awareness hits the younger man like a ton of bricks... and roots him to the spot.

While he stays exactly where he is, not moving, not even taking deep breaths, his focus intently on the older woman watching her every move, Mirka steps closer to him. When she stops, she is so close to him Rafa can feel her soft breath on his face and at this distance he realizes her eyes look darker than usual, her face is pale and the vacant expression in her eyes is even more pronounced now. Rafa is pretty sure Mirka – the real woman trapped somewhere in there – is completely unaware of what is going on. He doesn’t try to address her by her own name a second time, but hopes to reason with the entity possessing her.

“We are trying to leave. We did what we could. We will be gone by morning. We promise.”

Maybe there is an actual chance to reason with the long dead person that has taken a hold of Mirka’s consciousness. But whatever hope there is, is crushed by a bout of really very bad timing. Because it is precisely in that moment Roger steps into the kitchen as well. Mirka's – or more so the ghost's – attention is momentarily displaced. She stares at Roger and a sudden fire of hatred flashes in the otherwise empty eyes before she hisses at him with that chilling tone of voice.

“You...”

“Mirka, what...”

Roger – who seems entirely confused – never finishes the question to his wife. Not that he would get an answer anyway. Mirka is... not exactly, consciously there. The ghost however seems emotionally distraught and very, very angry. But she is a vengeful spirit after all – or at least that is what they assume. She is supposed to be hateful. Why her hatred is directed towards both him and Roger like this, neither of the two men understand. They can only try to deal with the fallout of this surreal situation. 

“The two of you, you are both abominations, an affront to everything that is good and right and proper!”

Her voice is shrill and now it definitely sounds different from the way Mirka usually talks. Her voice is higher, colder and there is a vague British accent to her words. This is not Mirka talking any more, this is the malicious specter haunting this house. Unfortunately Roger seems yet unaware of what they are facing. He raises both hands in defeat and compliance, hoping to calm his wife that way. And then he makes the mistake of taking a step closer to her. It does nothing to soothe her. Actually it manages to send the ghost that has taken a hold of the woman's body over the edge. 

“You have no right!”


	19. Salt and iron

Despite her obvious rage and emotional turmoil, the spirit seems to have reached some kind of decision as to what to use the body for she is possessing. Her focus returns to Rafa and a vindictive, almost murderous expression glistens in her eyes now, a sharp contrast to the previous emptiness. Her reaction – most definitely fueled by whatever mystical power the spectre holds – is so quick, all Rafa manages to see is a blur and than Mirka grabs a hold of his lower arms, looking up at him, her voice lowering to a malicious hiss.

“I despise you, both of you. And I will make sure you will be punished.”

The threat could not be more obvious and even though Rafa knows it isn't Mirka talking and meaning the things she says, it still hurts to hear them. Rafa feels it is best to put distance between himself and the angry ghost that still has a hold on Roger's wife. He tries to shake her off – gently but with determination – but his attempt is entirely fruitless. Mirka's grip is like iron and it is actually painful, like a vice closing around his arms, his fingernails digging into his skin. As removing himself from the situation is not an option, Rafa gives reasoning with the entity one last try. 

“We didn't do anything to hurt you. You don't even know us...”

“I know your kind! You're all the same! Selfish, reckless, uncaring for the well-being and happiness of others. You ruined EVERYTHING!”

The spirit's anger – her rage really – pours into the hold she has on Rafa. Her grip has been uncomfortable before. Now it is painful and Rafa can't help but wince. He tries to pull away again, more forcefully this time, but the grip on his arms never wavers. Fire seems to rage in Mirka's eyes, a fire that does not belong to her own emotions, and a vicious snarl escapes her lips. She doesn't say anything, simply utters the almost animalistic sound and it causes the situation to seriously deteriorate.

Roger, who has watched the exchange until now, obviously overwhelmed by the sheer surreality of the situation, panics when he sees Rafa wince in pain and hears Mirka denounce and condemn them for a relationship she has never been troubled by before. Rafa has tried to get himself out of both the situation and the conversation, but he hasn't managed. Roger decides to help. It is the wrong decision and when he steps up to his wife to finally get her to see reason, he quickly finds out his attempt is futile as well.

“Let go! Mirka! Let go of him!”

Roger has grabbed Mirka by the upper arm, trying to pull her away, but it is like working against a raging tight. There is more strength in her than Roger has ever thought possible. At least his wife does let go of Rafa now, but only to turn her attention – her fury and that inhuman strength – on him to get him off her. Roger actually loses his footing as Mirka pushes him back. He stumbles and almost falls. By the time he has found his bearings again, Mirka has turned her focus back to Rafa and has both her hands wrap around his throat.

What has been a halfhearted and maybe even slightly amused attempt from the Spaniard to get the older woman off him now turns into a real fight... possibly for Rafa's very life. Because Mirka is relentless in her pursuit to let actions follow her words and see the both of them punished. While Roger watches helplessly, having no clue as to how to help when he clearly is no match for the outerworldly strength his wife suddenly possesses, Rafa tries and fails to pry Mirka's hands of his throat.

Before Roger can ever make a different reaction but to watch and feel helpless, somebody else comes to their aid. A hand suddenly lands on his shoulder and Roger almost yelps both in surprise and fear. But there is no need for it. It isn't yet another vengeful entity to have suddenly appeared, but Meri who rushes past him – seemingly ignoring the awful scene going on between Rafa and Mirka – going right to one of the cupboards and grabbing something from it. It is some sort of box and Meri pries the lid of it in a frenzy, turning around and throwing the whole thing at Mirka.

Whatever the content of the box is – judging from the sight of it some sort of grainy substance – it has an immediate effect the moment it comes into contact with Mirka. She lets go of Rafa, who takes a stumbling step back, his own hands going to his – no doubt – throbbing throat as he gasps for air and tries to take in deep steadying breaths. Mirka in turn has taken a couple of steps back as well, her facial features contorted almost as if in pain.

What happens next seems like a seen pulled straight from a creepy movie scene. An otherworldly, ear piercing, blood chilling shriek escapes from Mirka's throat as the spirit of the dead woman is forcefully expelled from her body and mind. She doesn't manage to take form, is just a hovering mass of a dark shadow in the kitchen right behind Mirka for a second and then the gray mist dissipates into nothingness with a malevolent hiss. Mirka sways on her feet and this time – as Roger grabs for her elbow to steady her – she does not push him away again.

“What the hell...”

“Mirka... Thank god.”

Meri doesn't follow the conversation between husband and wife, doesn't really care for it right now anyway. Her sole focus is on Rafa right now, who seems a little more steady on his legs again, but who's breathing has yet to return to normal. Abandoning both Roger and Mirka and Roger and leaving the couple to their conversation, Meri walks up to her partner and puts a steadying hand on Rafa's lower left arm. She gently pushes the sleeves of his sweatshirt up and winces in sympathy. Bruises are already forming where Mirka has grabbed a hold. Her eyes wander from Rafa's bruised arms to his pale face searchingly.

“Are you okay?!”

“I'll be fine. She didn't hurt me. I'm just a little short of breath and my throat hurts, but it will be okay. God... she was strong.”

“That's because she wasn't really herself.”

“I know...”

They are both aware of what has just happened, are even more aware of how much worse the situation could have gotten hadn't Meri intervened. There is gratitude clear as day shining in Rafa's eyes and – despite the situation – Meri smiles, feeling just a tiny bit embarrassed. After all she has done nothing special and still Rafa obviously feels she has saved him. Her Eyes wander again and then widen when they fall on a slightly darker and wet spot at the shirt sleeve of Rafa's left arm. Meri is immediately alarmed, urging Rafa to tell her what has happened.

“Did she cut you as well somehow?! Your arm is bleeding!”

“It's a long story... I'll tell you later. But don't worry about it. It's just a scrape.”

For a second Meri feels the utter urge to protest, but she fights it down. This is not the moment to have any kind of discussion and if Rafa doesn't want to tell her how it is that there is a minor amount of blood on his shirt – obviously coming from some sort of wound on his arm – she is willing to let it slide. She trusts him after all. Rafa gives her a reassuring smile and now – with him taken care of and as fine as can be expected after what has just happened – they both focus back on the Swiss couple still talking to one another while Mirka searches for answers to a situation she cannot explain and can hardly even grasp. Roger seems to have explained little to her up until now, more concerned with his wife's well-being than her lack of understanding.

"Do... do you remember anything?"

"About what? How did I even get down here? And why is there sugar on my shirt?!"

"It's salt."

Meri interjects and interrupts the conversation, but judging from Mirka's widened eyes and the confused expression on her face, the older woman has no clue as to what has happened and why salt would be of any significance. Meri doesn't blame her for it. After all she has done something... desperate in hopes of resolving a desperate situation. And she has been lucky – a fact they can all be happy and grateful about. 

"Excuse me?"

"Salt. Not sugar. I... it's stupid really, but I saw it on a TV show once, used to repel ghosts. So I tried..."


	20. Unfinished business

It is not easy to explain to Mirka what has happened, to tell her that the ghost of their malicious entity has taken a hold of her and has forced her into doing things the older woman isn't even aware of. But she believes them, the obvious signs too many and too strong to count them down as anything else but proof of the... spectacular thing that has happened to her. They all return and settle to the living room, waiting for daybreak. It is the only thing they can do. Help won't come any sooner.

After the incident in the kitchen, they are all scared and worried and nobody feels any need to talk. Talking about the events only makes them infinitely more real... and frightening. It's half an hour to midnight and the sun won't be up for at least another 6 to 7 hours. They are all exhausted, but still all too worked up to sleep. Actually sleeping, letting their guard down and not being alert and aware of whatever is happening around them seems like a tremendously stupid idea anyway.

So they have each taken one of the couches on each side of the living room table, holding their vigil through the night. Roger and Mirka are cuddled up next to one another, sharing a blanket, while Meri has managed to convince Rafa to lie down for a bit, his head resting in her lap, a blanket covering him, giving him a chance to rest and recover from both the cold and wet of the churning water at the beach as well as the attack the ghost has launched on him, using Mirka to do the deed.

They stay like this, in silence, resting, each of them struggling with their own thoughts, for quite a while and the minutes tick by. When the clock in the living room tolls midnight Rafa's breathing has evened out and next to Mirka, Roger's eyelids have drooped rather low. It seems both man have fallen into an – albeit fitful – slumber after their respective ordeals... Mirka gives Meri a questioning look, anxiety written all over her face. She lowers her voice to a whisper, but the emotions she fights with are still clearly audible.

“Do you think she will return?”

“I don't know. I mean we're making things up as we go here. If that salt thing worked, maybe whatever else was used in that TV show is true as well. She would be weakened then, because of our attack... Maybe she will leave us be until the morning.”

Mirka nods but looks entirely unconvinced. Meri doesn't blame her. She isn't exactly convinced of her own words either. The whole situation is like nothing that has ever happened to them before – and hopefully will never happen to them again. They don't know anything for sure. Even thinking abut what has happened, what the ghost has done to her, what it has tried to do to Rafa, Mirka finds herself shuddering and almost misses Meri speaking to her again.

“I can't help but wonder why she is here.”

“Maybe she is trapped here...”

Mirka is aware her answer is not exactly helpful. From what little she knows – or believes to know . About ghosts, of course the entity is trapped in this world and cannot move on to the next. That is what ghosts are after all. Spirits trapped with unfinished business. And from everything that Meri has told her about her strange dreams, they know why this woman – or the essence of her being more precisely – is still here. She has lost her son and has killed herself out of grief... No wonder she is unable to leave and lingers in this place. But it still doesn't explain why she has attacked them.

“Yes, she is. She died here. Her whole family is buried here. But none of that has anything to do with us. It isn't our fault. And still she is out to get us...”

“Out to get me.”

Meri barely manages to hide back the wince and yelp threatening to escape her lips, when Rafa blinks his eyes open and suddenly joins the conversation. She has been sure her fiance would be deeply asleep and not even remotely aware of the conversation between her and the other woman. Apparently she has been wrong. Rafa moves himself into a sitting position, the blanket falling from his shoulders and his gaze wanders between the two women.

“She said we had ruined everything, that what we were atrocities and that we deserved to be despised and punished... I still don't understand what she meant...”

“Nothing. Everything... It's not like she is a person with a sound mind. I don't think her rage means anything at all. She is an angry, restless spirit. There are no ulterior motives there.

“Then why did she simply speak to you and appeared in my dreams but tried to choke the life out of Rafa? Is she against male visitors or something?”

The three of them arguing finally manages to rouse Roger as well, who blinks sleepily – and has obvious truly been asleep unlike Rafa – and then listens and decides to join in on the conversation, trying to shed some light on the problem at hand. Not that there is much he can offer as a useful explanation. He is just as... overwhelmed by the events as the rest of them. But he has done research on this rental home before picking it and nobody has ever reported anything supernatural going on here before. That much Roger knows.

“There have been male visitors here before. I have read the reviews online. There were couples here before us and nothing like this ever happened before... I mean somebody would have complained if there had.”

“So what is different this time?”

“I don't know... Nothing... Something. Who can tell? I mean it's not like we can reason with this... entity. She's a ghost!”

“But something must have happened to her that made her hate you guys and has her try to warn us. Something bad...”

Mirka is nothing if not persistent in her search for a useful answer as to why the ghost of one of the former owners of this house is tormenting them now, even trying to hurt them. It's the need for some kind of explanation for a chance to understand and maybe counteract... But there is little for them to understand. The century old hatred in the entity haunting this house is not for mortals to understand. Meri however agrees with Mirka's sentiment – there has to be a motive, a reason. Her eyes widen as sudden realization dawns on her and she almost yells in excitement, sharing her findings and suspicion.

“It's you...”  
  
“I'm sorry?”  
  
“You and Roger! That is what is different. You two have a relationship. You are more than just friends and I don't think a... gay couple has ever been here before.”  
  
Both men are staring at her like she has lost her mind all of a sudden. Meri is aware it is the term ‘gay’ that has thrown them and it is not exactly true to the facts anyway. After all both Rafa and Roger are in a committed relationship with a partner of the opposite sex. But that doesn’t change the fact that they share a relationship with one another just the same. And still it seems it has been sort of an insult… or at least something to feel defiance about. Because both men react almost simultaneously… and with the same kind of vehemence.  
  
“We're not gay.”  
  
“I don't think the ghost sees the difference. Or really cares for that matter...”  
  
“It would explain the things she has said about atrocities and wrongdoing. When she lived, any romantic relationship between two men would have been considered unnatural and despicable.”  
  
“So she doesn't like the way we live our lives. Why attack us for it?!”  
  
Both Meri and Mirka see the sense and reason in that explanation. The two men however seem less convinced. This time it is Rafa, who reacts first, sounding almost irritated by the fact, that the way he and Roger have decided to live their respective lives seems to be a matter of dislike and violence for the entity haunting the house. But logic and reason are definitely the wrong way to approach the whole subject and it seems that is the fact that needs to be pointed out. Mirka is the one to do it.  
  
“I don't know... She's not a normal person. Whatever causes her to linger and causes her to hate you two so much, it has had decades of time to fester. Maybe it's a simple dislike of the whole topic or maybe it is something deeper, something that has to do with why she still lingers...”  
  
“It doesn't matter. All that matters is that in a couple of hours we will leave this place and we will never return.”  
  
“Leave the problem to somebody else?!”  
  
Meri doesn’t even try to hide her displeasure at Roger’s idea. After all it should be clear as day that they cannot just leave without a word of warning. This spirit tormenting them has proven time and again that it is dangerous and has no scruples hurting people, even trying it’s best to kill them. Leaving here without a word means condemning other, unsuspecting and innocent visitors to the same fate they have endured… But Roger makes an excellent point, one Meri cannot deny has both value and reason to it and there is little to nothing they can do about.  
  
“What else do you want us to do? This is not “Supernatural” and I'm not a monster hunter. And what do you suppose happens if we tell Mike there is a ghost hunting this house? He will call us crazy and that's that. There's nothing we can do! All we can make sure of is to get off this island safe and sound.”  
  
“You're right, I guess... I don't like it. But you're right.”


	21. Waiting for absolution

The rest of the night and the very early morning hours go by… somehow. They all take turns dozing a little at a time, but none of them really manage a restful sleep. They are too worried, too scared, too worked up. But there is also hope, a ray of light at the end of the dark tunnel that have been the final hours of their stay here. With the rise of the sun, the weather has calmed down considerably and they can only hope the same goes for the sea. It is just a little while now and their transport off the island will be here. All they have to do is meet him.  
  
“It's dawn. Mike said they would leave the port of New London at first light of day. He should be here in a little while. Rafa and I will go upstairs and get the rest of our things.”

“Are you sure that is wise? To go on your own... You know what happened the last time...”

“I'm sure it will be fine. We haven't seen so much as a glimpse of our malicious spectre for the rest of the night. And we are leaving anyway. Why would she stop us?”

It's the same useless approach as before – assuming there is some kind of reason and logic to the ghost's actions, where there really isn't one. The evil spirit of the woman long dead doesn't think like a normal person and it probably cares little to nothing about their intentions to leave the island. All that matters to the entity is a chance for revenge, a chance to settle the score that has kept her here for all these years. But neither of the two women restart the argument they already had during the night.

“Just hurry, okay? And – please – be careful.”

Mirka and Meri watch as their respective partners leave the living room and ascend the stair case. Neither of the two women feels entirely comfortable with the fact that their partners are leaving them alone and are going to the upper floor where Mirka has been attacked the night before. Hopefully there is no need for concern this time. But still - fueled by their partner's display of emotion - both Rafa and Roger feel a little preoccupied when they reach the upstairs hallway. But nothing strange happens to them – there are no gusts of cold wind, no whispering voices or flickering lights. The upper floor lies entirely quiet.  
  
They split up, sharing a quick, reassuring nod before they head off in different directions. Of course they simply could have accompanied one another to their respective bedrooms and help each other with the rest of the packing. But that seems entirely ridiculous. The specter tormenting them has not shown up again all night and what they have to do up here should not take more than ten minutes. There is no need to be one another's guardians... And still Roger feels a little... unsure when he enters the bedroom.

The feeling quickly vanishes and is replaced by a sentiment of both urgency and accomplishment when he starts packing his and Mirka's things. There isn't a lot still left up here but it is all strewn across the bed- and bathroom, which is why it takes a little while. Roger is almost done when the room suddenly feels cold. But he ignores the feeling, tells himself it is either a figment of his imagination or just the fact that the weather still isn't exactly perfect. It is a mistake, because he is no longer alone in the room...

He does not become aware of the malicious entity looming right behind him until a reflection in the bathroom mirror catches his eye. Roger actually yelps, his heart beating in his throat, panic starting to settle in as he swirls around. The figure of the woman – the ghost – is almost translucent and flickers every now and again. It seems the… thing has difficulty taking form, but that doesn’t make her any less hateful… or dangerous. Her voice is disembodied and actually hurts in the Swiss’ ears as the spirit hisses at him.  
  
“I told you. You will not leave.”

“Please... We are about to go. We will be picked up in a matter of minutes.”

“No. No flight for you.”

*#*

When Rafa leaves the bedroom he and Meri have shared, bag in hand and ready to leave this damnable house for good, Roger is already waiting for him at the staircase leading back down. Something seems off about him – his posture, the way he stands there stock still and seemingly stares into space without actually seeing what is right in front of him – but Rafa attributes the suspicion to his frayed nerves trying to play tricks on him. They are ready to leave now and there is no more need to worry. And still he cannot stop himself from asking after the other man's well-being when he reaches the Swiss.   
  
“Roger? Are you alright?”  
  
For a very long second there is no reaction from Roger whatsoever and then he turns his head – very, very slowly. The expression on his face is blank, his eyes dark and completely void of any emotions. It is the same expression he has seen in Mirka's eyes when the older woman has attacked him not ten hours ago... This is not Roger any more, not really. Rafa takes a step back or tries to at least, but he never gets that far. Just like Mirka, Roger moves too fast to follow and an unforgiving hand encircles Rafa's wrist in an iron grip. The voice that talks to him is still Roger's but it is cold and hard and malicious. The vindictive ghost is back... and has found a new victim to torment.

“No wriggling off the hook for you this time.”

Rafa wants to say something, wants to protest and argue and make that... thing that has taken a hold of Roger see reason. But his mouth runs dry and the words die in his mouth. All he manages is a breathless whisper of both shock and desperation that causes a grin to spread on Roger's face, a reaction that is entirely out of place and not really his in the first place. It is scary to look at and only manages to make it harder for Rafa to try and extract himself from the situation.   
  
“Oh no…”

What happens next is something he can never explain in the aftermath. Mainly because he doesn't remember. To him it is lost time, a whole stretch of minutes passing by without him being aware of it. The last two things he consciously remembers, are the painful grip Roger has on his arm and a sudden feeling of coldness invading his body, like somebody has send a gust of arctic wind right at him. He shivers... and then there is only darkness.  
  
“Mama, you have to stop.”

Neither of the two men standing at the top of the staircase are themselves in that precise moment. They are both possessed by the spirits of people long dead, people who have loved each other once and – in that love and with the believe to do what is best for them – have managed to ruin one another. There on the landing of the staircase, an argument that has led into disaster years and years before repeats itself now.  
  
“I will not stop! I will never stop. You are MY son and it is my responsibility to protect you. Even from yourself!”  
  
“I love William, Mama! You cannot stand in the way of that. This is what I want, what we want.”  
  
“I don’t care what you want. This is despicable and heinous and I will not allow it.”  
  
“There is nothing you can do.”

Defiance lies in the voice of Jeremiah Bedford, doing his best to convince his mother as well as speak his mind about his future and his love for the miller's boy. He is almost grown up and he feels he has every right to make his own decisions. He has been hopeful after all. His mother has invited William to the house for dinner, but now that he has left, all they do is fight... But as it turns out that is not all his mother has done. She has taken care of the problem at hand... or so she tells him.  
  
“Of course there is. And it is already done.”  
  
“Mother… What?! What did you do?!”  
  
“I made sure this… infatuation of yours will end.”  
  
“The meal… You did not invite William out of courtesy…”  
  
“Of course not. A low born miller’s son and a queer on top of it! Why would I ever allow something like that into my house voluntarily?”

His mother's voice is nasty and vicious and fits perfectly with the awful words she uses to describe William. She has no idea the person she is, but Jeremiah doesn't care for his mother's insults. What he cares about is to find out what his mother has done to make sure he and William will be kept apart. Obviously it has something to do with their dinner tonight during which his mother has been remarkably polite and even friendly towards William... A feeling of utter dread settles in the boy's stomach and he knows he needs to find out... then warn William of what has been done to him and help him if that is in his power.  
  
“What did you do to him?!”  
  
“It doesn’t matter. It is done now and it cannot be undone.”  
  
“I will go to him.”  
  
“No!”  
  
His mother is so determined no to let him set foot out of the house, in the struggle that follows she possesses a strength Jeremiah has never expected of her. She clings to him like both their lives would depend on it and he is simply to furious and too worried for William to ever see any danger to their situation. All he wants is to get away from her. And he does, he pushes out of her grasp so violently that he only manages to irritate her further and it seems his mother is no longer set on keeping him if she cannot make him see reason. Instead she pushes him – just a little.

There is a moment in time that seems to slow down and then awful, sudden, horrific realization hits the boy. He is losing his balance... and the open staircase is right behind him. He is going to fall... and there is nothing he can do about it. He is trying to hold onto something – the wall, the railing, his mother's arm – but it is all out of his grasp... and then he falls. The last thing he sees is his mother's face, her expression turning from furious to petrified. She screams his name as he falls, hitting the stairs hard and then there is only darkness...

Oblivion doesn't last for long and when his eyes flutter open – though rightfully they should not – his mother is right there next to him, her face pale, her eyes watering and her voice breaking. They both know the horrible truth of what has happened and has caused them to linger here. But right here, right now they get a second chance...  
  
“My poor, darling boy. My only boy... I am so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you...”  
  
“I know, Mama.”  
  
“I poisoned your friend, your... lover and I pushed you, I... I killed you.”  
  
“I know, Mama. You have done wrong by us. But I forgive you. I love you. Still.”  



	22. Aftermath

Mirka and Meri have only ever been alarmed to the commotion in the upstairs hallway, when the ghost of the woman – using Roger for her purposes – has started to yell in anger. By the time they have made their way out of the living room and to the staircase, Rafa has already been pushed and they are forced to witness the tail end of a rather strange conversation. One long dead person apologizing to another, before both of them suddenly… vanish.  
  
What is left to them is an eerie aftermath of utter silence. Rafa – only seconds ago accepting an apology given to him – lies unmoving with his eyes closed now and Roger stands right next to the staircase, deathly pale, eyes glazed over and unseeing. Both women know exactly what they have to do and still for a moment, they are simply rooted to the spot by the sheer massiveness and surreality of the situation. But it doesn’t last for long. Reason takes over, worry driving them.  
  
Mirka manages to shake Roger from his trance like state first and tries to explain what has happened to him. Meri is not as successful, but she is deeply focused on her task and doesn’t pay the least bit of attention to what is happening right behind her as Mirka tries to explain to Roger, that their malicious ghost has not only returned, but has had company this time and they have both wrecked havoc and caused this disaster.  
  
Meri still tries to coax Rafa into waking up but so far her efforts have been in vain. Right now, most of all the Spanish woman is afraid. Every instinct in her tells her to shake Rafa by the shoulder and rouse him, but she knows she can’t do that. He has taken a fall down the stairs, could have a number of rather serious injuries and the last thing she wants to do is to aggravate any of them by moving him around to much. There is a bump and bruise on his head and his lower left arm seems bend at an unnatural angle. There are definitely broken bones involved and Meri does not want to make things worse for Rafa...

In the end she doesn't have to do anything, because Rafa wakes up on his own. His eyes flutter open and he gives a soft groan of pain before trying to maneuver himself into an upright position. Meri stops him before he can put any effort into the movement and it's a little scary to realize how easily Rafa complies with her ministrations. He is still a little out of it and both too confused and too weakened by his injuries to put up much of any fight.

“Don't move, okay?! You're hurt and I don't want you to make it worse.”

“What... How... How did I get here?”

“You fell.”

“I... I don't remember...”

Meri should probably be a lot more worried about the fact that her fiance has lost a piece of his memory. But he has taken a fall and has hit his head and that ignores the fact that he has been... possessed by some sort of spirit in the whole process as well. She wishes there was something comforting she could tell him, something to help him cope and understand what has happened to him. But she is at a loss for words. She smiles instead, but that smile falters when Rafa tries to take a calming breath and hisses in pain. Meri hurries to him instruct in on how to make the pain go away.

“Try to take shallow breaths. I'm pretty sure you broke a rib or two in the fall...”

“But I... I was just in the hallway, talking to Roger, trying to come up with a plan to get us off the island...”

Rafa still sounds very much confused but it is a confusing situation after all and not just for him. He is definitely concussed on top of it all but at least that fact makes him a little more compliant. Meri has expected him to be agitated at the realization that he misses a chunk of time and has gotten hurt in the process. But Rafa lacks the energy for protest. Instead he looks to her with an almost pleading expression in his eyes, silently demanding answers she is more than willing to give him. Actually she is glad for a chance to put into words what has happened, what she and Mirka have been forced to witness without a chance to intervene. Talking about it makes it easier for her to come to terms with it all...

“Yes. We don't know what happened exactly, but from what Mirka and I witnessed, the spirit that took a hold of her came back and tried again, this time taking a hold of Roger... But she wasn't alone. There was some other entity here. We assume it was her son, the one who's grave we saw in the family cemetery. They talked. They fought and Roger – that ghost, that woman, whatever – pushed you down the stairs. I'm pretty sure you were unconscious but as the ghost of that other person, that boy had a hold on you, it didn't really matter. They talked again, she apologized for hurting him and another friend of his and he forgave her. And then... then they disappeared.”

Rafa frowns at her and she isn't sure whether it is because he does not believe her or because he has as much of a hard time making sense of what she has to tell him. But the facts remain – she is telling him the truth. It is not her tale thought, that has him in disbelief, it is the fact that after all the heartache and trauma and horror the malicious ghost of the former owner of this house has put them through, she is now simply... gone.

“They... used us?”

“They did. But it helped them.”

“And now... You think they are gone? The spirits?”

“I can't be sure, none of us can be sure. But I guess so. They... resolved what has been keeping them here and now they are no longer here...”

“That's good...”

Rafa voice slurs a little and this time Meri has no hesitation to gently shake him by the shoulder as his eyelids droop and he is about to close is eyes. He is hurt but it's not serious enough that she can aggravate his condition. He is concussed, his wrist and a couple of his ribs are broken, but it seems these are the only injuries Rafa is dealing with. For the moment it is more important to her to make sure Rafa does not fall asleep while dealing with an – albeit absolutely minor – brain injury. 

“You can't fall asleep, Rafa. You took a hit on the head. You need to stay awake. Help is almost here. They will take us all off this damn island...”

“My head... It hurts... My arm too...”

“It will all be better once help is here. They must be here any second.”

Rafa nods and smiles but he looks entirely unconvinced. He does know better though, because he and Roger have been the ones who have actually called Mike in to help him. Rafa's eyelids flutter and this time around Meri cannot convince him, cannot coax him to open his eyes again, but at least there is a reaction to her attempts, even though it is more of a disgruntled moan than an actual answer. But as long as Rafa is still awake and able to hear her and react to her, Meri is happy enough. After all, it can only be a little while now. Morning has broken at least half an hour ago... They are supposed to be saved from here at any minute now...

As if on cue, faint footsteps can be heard out on the patio and for a quick, panicked second Meri is sure the spirit of mother and son are still out there somewhere, ready to attack and taunt them again. But the sounds have a more mundane and entirely trustworthy origin as she is about to find out when the front door is opened and a voice – a very much human and not disembodied voice – calls out to them. 

“Hello? It's Mike. I came to... What the...”

The man who has first taken them to the island and who they have called for help steps into the hallway and stops mid-sentence, staring at the scene unfolding in front of him. He steps closer, his face suddenly pale and flooded with concern, especially at the sight of Rafa semi conscious on the floor. Mike swallows hard and tries to make sense of what he sees, asking a question neither one of them can truly answer with any real conviction. Because they just don't know how... 

“What the hell happened here?!”


	23. Leaving Gardiner Island

Mike has been all professional determination in the aftermath of finding the two couples huddled at the lower staircase, all of them shaken, one of them injured and has placed a call to the coast guard. They have send a med-evac helicopter, because it is the quickest and most efficient way to get Rafa off the island without causing him any more harm or taking too much time to finally have him admitted to a hospital where staff and doctors can take proper care of him.

Meri has quickly debated protesting the idea because it seems a bit too much to her. After all her fiance is mainly dealing with broken bones and no serious internal injuries. But there is the concussion to consider and the fact that she has been unable to coax Rafa into wakefulness again. That warrants quick actions and an even quicker admittance to the nearest hospital. It all happens in kind of a blur – the call to the coast guard, the arrival of the helicopter and the medics taking her unconscious fiance with them... In the aftermath of it all Meri feels completely exhausted.

It is a little surreal to leave the rental home, they had wanted to spent a relaxing holiday at, and actually feeling glad to do so, all of them absolutely determined never to return to this island again – even if there is no longer a curse on the house and the land. Mike takes care of their luggage and neither one of them takes even one lingering look back to the house as they walk down to the boat house. Neither one of them says a word either. Even now – with the knowledge of the spirit gone and Rafa safely on his way to the hospital – they still fear for yet another bad thing to happen...

Leaving the island – something they have fought for for more than a day now – seems strangely anti-climatic. What has been impossible just a couple of hours ago and has had all of them in a fearful frenzy is just one step ahead all of a sudden. Weren't the events of the last few days so horrible and the consequences of their stay and their encounter with that evil spirit so bad, it would almost be comical...

It is only when Mike has maneuvered them away from the boat house and the beach and the island starts to get smaller and smaller, that they actually talk about what has happened. Neither one of them wants to. But Mike has never received an answer to his question, the fact that more pressing and urgent matters needed to be taken care of making that obsolete. Now however they have the chance to talk and of course Mike's curiosity has never abated. 

“You never told me how exactly you came to... end up on the staircase like that... What happened?”

“There... were several strange occurrences in the last days and it all culminated in a very strange scene that ended up with Rafa falling... We... we do believe it was a ghost, a vengeful spirit.”

Meri is the one to tell their host and she can hear Mirka gasp softly right next to her when she actually tells Mike about the ghost. Roger looks troubled and just a little embarrassed. Meri expects Mike to laugh at her, to tell her he does not appreciate the joke, but instead the other man stares at her for a very long time, then frowns and finally exclaims an answer the Spanish woman never would have expected – not in a million years.

“The ghost of Eleanor Bedford?!”

“You knew about this!”

There is reproach in Meri's voice when she replies, almost yelling at the poor unsuspecting men steering the boat away from the cursed island they had been trapped on. He doesn't deserve this – somewhere deep down Meri is aware of that - but Mike talks about the ghost that has been scaring and taunting and hurting them so nonchalantly, all she is left with is anger. There is a very simple explanation to it all though and none of them have anything to do with malice – to Mike the story of the ghost on Gardiner island is nothing but that - a story...

“No! I mean it's a local legend, but nothing more... Are you sure...”

“That we saw what we saw? That my fiance didn't fall down the stairs by accident? That something awful and strange happened in this place that we can neither fully comprehend nor explain? Yes! We are sure.”

Yet again Meri doesn't mean to yell at the other man and she feels bad for doing it right after. This isn't Mike's fault after all. But she is tired and worried about Rafa and completely drained – both physically and emotionally – and having her words questioned does not help to make her feel any less tense or irritated. Mike certainly doesn't mean to and he probably deserves an apology from her, but Meri simply doesn't find it within her to care enough about her rudeness to do so. She doesn't have to though. Mike's focus is deterred when Mirka asks an almost timid but still important question, to which they all want to hear the story. 

“Will you tell us? About her? What happened to her?”

Mike nods almost immediately but takes him time to answer. Maybe it is that he needs to concentrate on what he is doing, steering their little boat through the still slightly rough sea. But Meri is pretty sure the other man simply tries to recall the story. Judging from the frown on his face he hasn't heard or told it in a while and his recollection is probably a bit sketchy. But finally he remembers and tells them what it is that has caused their malicious ghost to linger.

"It's a really sad story... Eleanor Bedford lost her husband during the civil war. He was interred at Gettysburg but his remains were later transferred to the family cemetery here on the island. Her only son, Jeremiah, apparently had a thing for the miller's boy. His mother was devastated and furious as a harpy when she found out. They had a fight, she pushed him and he fell down the stairs, breaking his neck. Even back then it seemed incredibly unfortunate that the teenage boy fell down the stairs so awkwardly, he managed to break his neck. Apparently his mother took it as divine intervention. She jumped from the cliffs a couple of days later and presumably died on impact. Her body was never recovered."

"What about the miller's boy?"

"He was found dead the same day as Jeremiah Bedford. Looked like a heart attack, but there were rumors."

A deep hard knot settles in Meri's stomach and looking at the Swiss couple now, she is pretty sure at least Mirka feels the same way. They have both listened in on the conversation happening between Rafa and Roger – or more precisely between Eleanor Bedford and her son Jeremiah. The two men have never been aware of what they were saying to one another. But Meri and Mirka have. And Eleanor has all but admitted to hurting the boy Jeremiah has been in love with... It's not hard to draw conclusions from that and still Mirka asks the painful question to Mike. 

"What kind of rumors?"

"He had been invited to the main house for dinner that same night by Jeremiah. Both boys died that night. There had been talk about them and their... affection for one another. People gossiped, saying Eleanor poisoned the boy to get Jeremiah away from him..."

Just as Meri before her, Mirka cannot help the sudden surge of anger.

"Why didn't you tell us any of this before?!"

"It's just a story! An old local legend. And it's bad for business. Who would want to spend their vacation in a haunted house? And besides - nothing has ever happened."

It sounds very much like a lame attempt to both justify and defend the behavior of the rental home's owner and proprietor. After all Mike only works for them. And he isn't wrong after all. A local legend about a ghost should not be used as a warning in the fine print. After all – even after everything they have gone through – it still seems surreal and otherworldly that any of this has happened. But it has – that much is for sure and Meri can't help but comment on that particular fact. 

"Until now..."


	24. Epilogue

It takes 45 minutes before they reach the harbor of New London again. Mike helps them with their things, accompanies them to the parking lot where their rental car is waiting for them and lends a hand as they stow away all of their luggage. Mike also has placed a call to his friend at the coast guard, inquiring about Rafa and giving them directions as to how to get to the hospital their friend has been admitted to. They decide to all go and check in on the Spaniard first.

It's a short drive from the harbor to the hospital but a tense one. Even though they know Rafa's injuries have in no way been severe or life threatening, of course they all worry. The hospital turns out to be rather small and the nurse at administration is actually reading a magazine, which she quickly puts down and plasters a smile on her face as soon as they enter. But still – the first impression is that this is a rather... slow night for the people working here. Which is most definitely a good thing. It means Rafa will have been taken care of right away. As Meri approaches the desk, nervousness pulls her stomach into knots. She knows there is no need to fear it, but still she half expects bad news. It's sort of a pattern with them these last few days... Bad news piling up on top of one another.

“I'm looking for my fiance. He was brought in by helicopter a little while earlier. His name is...”

“Nadal, Rafael, yes. We don't have med-evac coming in too often around here... Dr. Whitman is his attending physician. I will page him. He will be with you in a little while. Why don't you sit down in the waiting area for a moment?”

The nurse is busy to get the message to the doctor and rather focused on her task, so that Meri decides not to ask any follow up question. Given the fact, that there is only one elderly couple in the waiting area when they come there, she assumes it will not be long before the doctor will come to find them and talk to them. She turns out to be right. She is seated for less than a minute when a man in his late fourties in a white lab coat enters the waiting area and walks up to them, a professional smile in his face, hand stretched out for them to shake.

“I'm Dr. Whitman. I treated Rafael.”

They share introductions and pleasantries out of common decency but quite frankly Meri could care less what this man's name is. All she wants to know, is how her fiance is doing. The doctor however seems quite alright with her being both blunt and rather rude, cutting straight to the point. And he is helpful and informative as well, putting her mind at ease again.

"How is he?"

"Apart from a broken arm, a couple of broken ribs and a rather serious concussion, he is fine. We put a wrapping on the ribs to protect them and he will need a cast for the fractured wrist and radius for about four weeks. On top of that he will be facing a rather serious headache for the next couple of days but it will subside without further intervention. He will have to take it easy for a while, but he will definitely make a full recovery."

It's the best news they have heard all day – maybe apart from the fact when Mike had come to finally take them off that accursed island – but even know there is a little bit of painful tension left settled deep in Meri's stomach. Of course she trusts the doctor's expertise and she believes him, but still she would feel better if she had a chance to see that her fiance is indeed alright and on a mending path for herself. In that regard however, the doctor's orders do not coincide with her wishes. 

"Can we see him?"

"Not until the morning. We gave him a combination of mild sedative and painkiller to deal with the worst of the discomfort and he's resting now. As he should. You can come see him in the morning and take him home. There is no need for any further observation, other than for tonight."

"Thank you, doctor."

*#*

They are sort of derailed by the doctor's decision but manage to find a place at the only decent hotel in town. Still it's a fitful, restless night for all of them but it is their last night in New London and from here on out they are all going back to New York and then back home as soon as possible, putting as much distance between themselves and Gardiner Island as possible. The memory of Eleanor Bedford and her son still haunts them, still is vivid in their minds and sleep is hard to find.

When they meet in the morning in the downstairs hall of the hotel for breakfast, it's a quiet and subdued affair. They are happy to pack their things and make their way over to the hospital. Picking up Rafa after the night of observation is their last stop before getting out of this town and forgetting about this strange and awful holiday for good. Meri has brought a change of clothes for Rafa and goes to see him while Roger stays at the waiting area and Mirka has opted to stay with the car. 

The Spanish woman returns a couple of minutes later, the bag with the set of clothes no longer in her hands but exchanged for a stack of papers. She walks up to Roger, an almost pleading expression on her face. But she neither looks worried nor afraid. To him that means Rafa is okay and ready to leave. She simply has a favor to ask of him. 

“He will be a couple of minutes, getting changed and all... I'll take the discharge papers back t the nurse's station. Maybe you could look out for him while I'm gone? I don't want him to be alone. He's not suppose to overexert himself...”

“I'll keep an eye on him.”

“Thank you, Roger.”

Roger walks down the corridor to where Rafa's room is and knocks before he enters, not wanting to intrude while Rafa is in the middle of changing into the clothes Meri has brought. Not that Rafa has ever felt the need to protect his modesty from Roger... But still the Swiss decides to be polite. It's the first time he sees Rafa in over a day, the first time he sees him after causing his injuries, and the second he catches sight of the plastered arm and the paleness of the younger man's features an apology slips out before Roger has so much as a chance to make the conscious decision to express his regret about yesterday's events.

“I'm so sorry...”

“This wasn't your fault. You didn't even know what you were doing. And it's not so bad. It will all heal in a couple of weeks time. I will be fine.”

“I'm glad to hear that!”

Roger actually is more than glad to hear it. He knows he would never forgive himself had Rafa been seriously injured in the process of their... ghost possession. Maybe he doesn't remember, maybe it hasn't really been him and maybe he hasn't been able to control it, but Roger feels responsible all the same. He watches as Rafa changes into the shirt Meri has brought him at a rather slow pace and his surprised when the younger man fixes him with a rather intense stare after he is done changing.

“Roger?”

“Mh?”

“Do... do you think they are... at peace now? The spirits?”

It's an odd question and Rafa feels quite obviously uncomfortable asking it. But Roger understands where the sentiment is coming from. After all the two of them have been instrumental in returning those lost souls to their proper place... or at least he likes to believe so. Of course they can never really be sure and Roger has given this a lot of thought. He simply hopes their... sacrifice has been worth something. That is what he wants to believe.

“I don't know... From everything Meri and Mirka told us... I guess so.”

“Good. That's... good.”

Rafa motions to the door after a long moment of silence, indicating that he is done and ready to leave. Roger nods solemnly at that. He is more than ready to leave this place. They walk down the corridor side by side and in silence, when Rafa reaches over and place his good hand on Roger's forearm. Looking at the younger man next to him, Roger finds a soft smile on the Spaniard's face as Rafa addresses him.

“Rogi?”

“Mh?”

“Next time, Meri and I pick the vacation spot.”

“Deal.”

-FIN-


End file.
